Hunger Games: High School Life
by DebbyHayleyBieber119
Summary: What if Katniss tries to repay Peeta? Will she see him as a friend or more? Will Gale and Delly accept it? This is a school life and characters are slightly OOC. *No Hunger Games from the start* Rated T for harsh language and this is Hunger Games.
1. Not a usual morning

**Summary: What if Katniss tries to repay Peeta? Will she see him as a friend or more? Will Gale accept it? This is a school life. *No Hunger Games from the start***

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The day starts as usual; I wake up early to get ready for school. I change from my green tank top and shorts to a blue shirt and a pair of dark blue jeans, then I cover myself with my black jacket. When I get downstairs, I see Prim squatting down to the floor, feeding her cat, Buttercup.

"Good morning, Katniss," she greets me as she sees me while standing up straight.

"Morning, little duck," I say and kiss her cheek. I look around the living room and the kitchen. "Where's mother?"

"She went out to buy some stuff."

I nod, and then I take a quick gulp of tea that has been prepared on the table and a bite of bread. The bread reminds me of the story that happened five years ago.

My father was killed in the explosion in the mine, leaving Prim, our mother and I to live on our own. His death drastically hurt my mother and she just sat on the chair, staring at the window as if she was waiting for father to return. Since then I had been taking care of the whole family because I was the oldest child. I couldn't find enough money at that time and we were starving to death. I ran to the town to find some food. That was how I ended up at the bakery. I smelt the nice aroma of fresh bread and tried to ask for some from the baker but instead his wife threw me out off the bakery. I thought it was the end for me and my family. Then I heard a scorching sound. The witch was shouting at his son for burning some bread. I look at the breads in his arms, and then I noticed his eyes were staring at me. After his mother went inside to the bakery, he threw the breads to me and before he got inside, I saw a bruise on his cheek. I took the breads home and fed them to my family. And that was how my family lived till today. I owe that boy who I call the Boy with Bread so much.

The flashback gets interrupted when Prim calls my name.

"Katniss? Are you okay?" She waves her hand in front of my face.

I shake my head and ask her, "Yeah. So are you ready yet?" I grab my backpack that is lying on the couch.

"In a minute," she merely answers. She runs upstairs to take her bag and a minute later she returns. "Okay, let's go."

We get out of the house and walk on the rocky path to the town then we arrive in front of the school.

"Be careful, okay?" I look at Prim and straighten her dress.

"You too," she says, smiling then runs to the junior-high school's building and waves at me.

I wave back then I walk upwards the stairs in front of me and open the doors of the high school building. After that, a crowd of students appear before me. Some of them are talking with their friends near their lockers while others are either taking things out of their lockers or put them inside the lockers. Only one person that manages to attract my attention: Delly Cartwright. She is a very beautiful girl with a blonde hair and fair skin. She wears a fancy, pink, long-sleeved shirt with a black a skirt that is so short that I can see her thighs. Compared to me, we're totally in two different worlds. There is only one thing that is common between us; our age. She's with her two best friends, Kelly and Diana, gathering around a girl, probably younger than them.

"Did you just bump onto me?" I hear her speaks harshly.

But the girl stays silent, obviously scared.

"You deaf? Speak up!" The girl with red hair, Diana orders her the pushes the girl against a locker, making a loud bang.

People just walk by as if nothing is happening. Then I remember why they wouldn't try to stop her; she's the head cheerleader and she's the most popular girl in this school. Most people in the school dare to listen to her as long as they get out of trouble, but I'm not one of them.

I walk towards them and grab Delly's shoulder.

She turns around and speaks with a low, threatening voice, "What do you want, Seam girl?"

I ignore her insults and say, "Leave her alone."

"Oh. So you're gonna apologize for this scrawny girl?" She asks, crossing her arms against her chest.

"No."

"Then get your ass out of people's business!" She yells at me and shoves me hard on the shoulders, making me walk back a little.

I clench my fists and feel like punching her on the face when eyes begin to stare at us the moment the words come out of her mouth.

"What's going on here?" The headmaster, Snow comes and interrupts us.

"Nothing, sir. Just some misunderstanding," says Kelly with an awkward smile.

"Is this true, Miss Cartwright? Miss Everdeen?"

After glaring at me, Delly looks at the headmaster with an innocent smile. "Yes, sir. I was just helping this girl here from getting hit by this Seam girl." She holds the girl's shoulder.

"Is it true, Miss Everdeen?" He asks me.

I loosen my fists and simply shake my head as a 'no'. Then the bell rings, telling us that it's time for the first class to start.

"All right. Everyone go to your classes. And you, Miss Everdeen, I shall let you go this time," Snow warns me.

People begin to walk away and so do Delly and her friends. I see her point her middle finger at me when the headmaster isn't looking at her, telling me that this isn't over yet. I look at the bullied girl.

"Thanks for saving me," she says.

"Anytime."

She walks away to her class without telling me her name, not that I mind though. I walk to my History class and find an empty seat. I hear someone making a 'psst' sound and I turn around to see Delly sitting quite far away from me. I forgot that today we have the same class for the first period. She smiles mischievously at me and reminds me of this morning's event. I turn around from her and focus on the teacher, Miss Effie who starts to babble about today's topic. And I think of only one thing in my head, _today's not going to end well._

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**So yeah this is my first chapter for my new story, and tell me what you think. Reviews are always welcomed.**


	2. Peeta's appearance

**Thanks for all the reviews, everyone. It made me really happy :). Most people said about Delly being really cruel, all I can say is that this just part of my imagination so it's not a big deal, right? But I apologize if any of you guys are her fans. So anyway, chapter two's here.**

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I'm not focusing on Miss Effie's babbling at all because I'm too focused on Delly who is sitting behind me. I feel that she's waiting the right time to make fun of me. I don't know how, but probably she'll tear a piece paper from her notebook, write something insulting on it, wrap it into a ball and finally throw it at me? Who knows? Or maybe she'll stick a paper on my back and it says "Kick me, the Seam bitch" or something like it.

But why am I so scared? I'm a lot stronger than she is since I always hunt in the woods with my best friend, Gale Hawthorne. He has taught me some martial arts to defend myself from any predators like tigers, bears or wolves. With my abilities and my speed, I think I can easily beat Delly. But I remember Snow's warning not to cause any trouble. I slap my cheeks with my hands and take a deep breath to calm myself.

The sound of my slap makes Miss Effie to snap at me, "Manners, Katniss! What did I tell you how to behave in my class?" She walks towards me and rests her hands on her hips.

I sigh and repeat what she has told us at the beginning of the year, "Stay silent, listen to Miss Effie's teachings, never come late, don't do anything distracting during class… and no making out."

My classmates start to laugh when I said the last sentence. And I feel slightly embarrassed.

"Silence!" The pink haired History teacher yells at them, and then turns to me. "Very good, Katniss." She walks back to the whiteboard to write something historic.

I hide my face in my hands to hide my blush. That's when I hear a voice.

"Sorry I'm late, Miss Effie."

I raise my head and stare at a boy who's standing at the doorway of the classroom. He wears an orange checkered shirt with its sleeves are rolled to his elbow and a pair of black baggy jeans with a metallic chain dangling on the belt loops. He has his backpack dangling on his shoulder. His blonde hair is soaking with sweat. It's obvious that he ran all the way from his house to school. His blue eyes are as blue as the sky, no the ocean. I recognize him the moment I see a stain of flour on his face.

"I see you are late, Peeta Mellark," Miss Effie says scornfully.

"Yes, I was baking in the bakery for the early customers." He explains.

"Of course you were," she says quite sarcastically. "Have a seat anywhere you want."

He looks around to find a seat. I hear Delly make another 'psst' sound, indicating to make him sit next to her. Who would NOT want Peeta to sit next to them? Peeta's like the most charming person I've ever known, not to mention his personality. He's kind, cheerful, easy-going and understanding. He may be not as famous as Delly, but he is highly in demand to most girls in school.

He starts to walk and I think he's going to sit next to Delly. But instead he stops next to me.

"Can I sit next to you?" He asks with a soft voice.

I open my mouth to say no but it stuck in my throat. So I end up saying, "I… um… sure,"

"Thanks," he says and sits on the empty chair that stood beside me. He lays his bag on the table and takes out his notebook and his pencil case. And he begins to copy whatever Miss Effie has wrote on the whiteboard.

I can't take my eyes from his flour-stained-face. So I tell him, "You do know that there's flour on your face right?"

He raises his head and looks at me with a confused face. "Huh? Where?"

"Just right there on your cheek," I say, pointing on his cheek.

"Thanks again," he thanks me and wipes the stain with his thumb. Then he goes back on writing on his notebook.

I sense some kind of killing aura behind me so I take a look back and see Delly grits her teeth and she holds her pencil so strong that it finally breaks into two. Jealous, huh? Great, now I have another reason why Miss Popularity would torture me. To make things less worse, I tell Peeta about her.

He turns back and he simply says "Oh, her? I didn't even notice."

My eyes open wide when I hear those words. How come he didn't notice Delly Cartwright, the most famous girl in school? I don't know if he's blind or not. But I'm not going to say it out loud. "So you're not gonna sit beside her?" I ask him.

"Why should I? It's not like I need to, do I?" He says.

Oh. My. God. If Delly can hear this, she'd throw a huge tantrum until the whole building shakes. Nobody has ever rejected her, including her father which explains why she's so childish. I simply nod on his statement. I look towards the whiteboard to write down some notes of today's lesson. But Miss Effie begins to rub them off to write new ones.

Peeta seems to notice this so he shifts his notebook to me and let me copy the notes from him. What a fast writer he is. He arrives late to class but he manages to copy everything like in just a few seconds. Well, with his talented hands that has kneaded lots of dough; anything can happen that has something to do with hands.

I quickly write down everything into my notebook. While waiting for me to finish, he draws something on his palm. A cake, I think.

"Do you like to draw on your hand?"

"Yeah. Another hobby instead of making breads. Nobody knows this except you."

I smile with the thought that I'm the only who knows his little secret. "Then why don't you just become an artist or something?"

"I can't. My mother won't let me."

That's when I remember the witch who hit her own son who did a very generous deed by giving some bread to a girl from the Seam.

"Are you done?" He asks while rubbing the ink off his palm.

I nod and return his notebook back. I feel kind of guilty for asking him about his unreachable dream. Again, I sense Delly's killing aura but this time it's more intense. I shut my mouth till the class ends.

After class ends, I stand up and am about to leave the room when someone used their foot to shift it in front of mine and I accidentally hit it and I lose my balance and fall down. I close my eyes to wait for the impact but I feel arms wrap around me and hold me tight against someone's body. I open my eyes and see Peeta's face in a close proximity to mine. I see Delly, Diana and Kelly from his shoulder. Their eyes are full of anger and grudge.

_Today. Will. Really. Not. End. Well._

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**Well, there you go. Hope you liked that. Review please.**


	3. Saved by Peeta

**I'm really glad you liked the story so far. And the reviews pleased me so bad. Chapter three's here to pay back the reviews.**

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I untangle myself from Peeta and stand awkwardly in front of him. I feel my face gets hotter and I think it's turning red, so I let my eyes focus on the floor.

"Thanks," I say, and then I pick up my stuff that fell down from my backpack and quickly put them back inside.

Peeta is about to help me but I stop him. He makes another confused face. I try not to look at him and once I finish putting my stuff away, I run off. I manage to take a glimpse of Delly and her friends smirking and giggling behind Peeta. Delly approaches him and holds his shoulder and pulls him back.

"You don't need to help her, Peeta. She's strong enough to settle this. She's from the Seam, in fact. Who always work so hard till their skins turn dark and create huge, ugly muscles," she said with mockingly.

The other people who gather around us at first snorted, and then burst their laughs loudly. I try not to pay attention to their mocking gazes. But their laughs are just too loud that it's hard to ignore them. I close my eyes and fasten my pace into the crowd. Finally I manage to escape from them by locking myself inside the bathroom. I touch my hot face and realize that my tears are actually streaming down from my eyes. I sit down on one of the toilet seats and wrap my arms around myself and hide my face till everything goes black.

I don't realize how long I fell asleep in the toilet. But I think I've missed at least two classes. I stand up and walk towards the door. I take a deep breath and prepare myself for the worst once I step outside. I slowly creep out of the bathroom. Nobody is around the hall so I guess it's the fourth period. I realize someone is standing beside the door. It's Peeta.

His back is leaning against the wall, his left hand is inside his jeans' pocket and he's looking at his phone in his right hand. He finally notices me, stands up straight and puts the phone inside his pocket. Then I find out he had his backpack with him.

"Hey. Sorry about what happened just now," he says, rubbing the back of his head.

Why is he apologizing? Delly is the one who's supposed to be apologizing to me, not him.

He continues, "I should've sat next to her during Miss Effie's class. Really, I'm sorry."

"It's fine. It's not your fault anyway. Delly's is the one who's in fault here," I say, trying to make him less guilty.

He smiles and chuckles. "I guess you're right."

"What happened after I ran off?"

"Well, I told Delly that she was wrong about the people from the Seam, especially you. And that pissed her and she went off to her next class with Kelly and Diana. With a 'hmmph' sound," he imitates Delly's whiny voice and it makes me laugh.

I don't know what to say next so there's nothing to say after that and there's an awkward silence around the empty hall. I don't feel like going to class either so I'm stuck here with Peeta in front of me.

"Wanna go somewhere?" He asks.

"You're not going to class?"

"Nope. I think you need some company to talk with, so I'm here."

"Yeah but I don't want to drag you along and cause you trouble."

He grins and says, "I feel like ditching right now and I'm actually not in the mood for class today anyway."

Wow. I never knew that Peeta, the nice, honest boy is actually a typical type of boy who breaks the rules at times. Well, he's a teenager like me anyway. I agree with him so we walk around the town and visit the stores like the bookstore, the market and finally the bakery but we only take a glimpse of it because we can't take the risk of his mother from seeing him ditching school, especially with me. And then we end up at the boundary line between the town and the Seam. He hesitates to continue on walking but I encourage him to move on even though most people in the Seam hate the people from town. I tell him that he's not like any other them. That works and he walks in to the Seam. We stop at a huge tree near the boundary line and we sit on the tree's large trunk, and then we start talking.

"Why did you help me by throwing the breads at me, Peeta?" I ask him.

"Huh?" He looks blurred at first but after that I think there's a click in his head. "You mean when we were kids?" He's silent at first and looks at the sky as if he's looking for the right answer. He then answers, "I just wanted to help you. Is it wrong to help someone who needs help?"

"Well, that's true. But helping me wouldn't gain you anything but making me owe you."

"You don't owe me anything, Katniss," he denies.

"Yes I do. If you didn't do it, my family would've died," I insist.

He sighs in defeat and lays his back against the tree trunk. "Then what do you want to do since you owe me?"

"I don't know. Depends on what you want me to do."

He puts his index finger on his chin, making a thinking face. Then he snaps his finger. "Then why don't you bring me to the woods?"

I never thought that he wants to go to the woods, I mean, among all places he can go he picks the woods. But I can't say no, do I?

So I say, "Sure. When are we going?"

"How about Sunday?"

I say it's okay. Then we realize that it's already near afternoon so Peeta decides to go home and return to his work and I decide to hunt. We bid farewell then we go to each other's house. Once I reach home, Prim's already there.

"Hi. How was your day?" She asks the moment she sees me enter the house.

"It wasn't so bad," I say, smiling. Because it's true, spending the day with Peeta isn't so bad at all. "Is mother here?"

"She's working on the medical plants she bought this morning."

I nod then go upstairs and change my clothes to my hunting clothes. After that I tell Prim to take care of the house while I hunt. When I get out of the house, I run towards the fence that separates the houses and the woods. I slip through the hole on the electrified fence to the woods then I grab my bow and arrows. I go deeper into the woods and spot a deer eating some grass. I stretch my bow and prepare to shoot the deer. But when the deer walks forward, a trap triggers and a net wraps around the poor animal.

"Too slow, Catnip." I hear a voice says.

I put down my weapons and turn around and see my best friend. "Shut up, Gale."

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**Whoo-hoo! Finally finished the school scene. I'm sorry if I made Katniss a little OOC. If you guys noticed, Peeta and Katniss sounded as if they were on a date. Anyway, Gale finally makes his appearance. Review please.**


	4. Gale's appearance

**Hey, how's everybody doing? I haven't updated the story for so long. That's because I was so busy because of my exams, assignments and my outdoor projects and I had no time to write anything. But since the holiday's coming soon, I have the time to continue my stories. So here's chapter 4. Enjoy :D**

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Gale steps forward from the wild bushes with his spear. He wears a black shirt over an olive-colored jacket and a pair of black hunting pants. His black hair and gray eyes are identical just like mine. With his left hand, he spins his spear like a baton and places it on his shoulder, and smirks at me. He may be my best friend, but it's very rare for me to see him actually smiling.

"What makes you lose focus today?" He asks.

I lower my arrow and bow down. "I am not."

"Oh yeah? I just saw you taking a long time to give a shot," he points out.

I roll my eyes and sigh. "All right. I admit it; I'm just too relaxed today."

"What happened at school?"

"Well, I was laughed by my classmates for repeating Miss Effie's rules and I got tripped by Delly Cartwright in front of lots of people," I confess.

He smile disappears. "What? Then how come you're relaxed about that?" He raises his voice.

"I'm not finished yet. After that I met a boy named Peeta Mellark. He saved me from falling and he brought me on a little tour at the Town. Then we had a little chat at the boundary line between the Town and the Seam." Right after I stopped talking, I hear him hold his breath when I mentioned Peeta's name. I look at him and he has a frown on his face.

"Mellark? The witch's son? Seriously? Why would he do that?" Gale asks with a certain thing in his tone and I don't know what it is. It sounds like un-satisfaction and anger.

I shrug. "I don't know. Maybe he was just being friendly? Why do you sound so worried?"

"I don't want you to fall on his tricks like the other girls in your school and squeal 'Oh my God, it's Peeta! He looks so hot! I really wish he'd date me!'" He says and imitates a typical girl who shrieks every time she sees a handsome boy.

I chuckle and roll my eyes again. "What trick? And come on, Gale. You know me better than that. I'm not interested with such things like having a boyfriend or scream like a crazy girl."

He stabs his spear on the ground and sits down on a tree log, puts his elbows on his knees and sighs, "I heard about the Seam guys who flirt around the girls and make them fall in love by just winking at them and act as if they're some good guys."

"Oh please. Since when did you start to listen to gossips like that? Besides, Peeta's different than the other boys from the Seam, I know it," I put my arrow into my quiver and tie my bow around the rope that is attached on my back, and crossed my arms against my chest.

"I'm not listening to gossips, it's the truth!" He raises his voice then sighs, "And how do you know Mellark is different? Just because he protected you from some bitches like Delly Cartwright and brought you to the Town doesn't mean you can just trust him."

Somehow, listening to his false statement about Peeta makes me feel like I want to hit him and say it's wrong. However, it's quite true; I just met Peeta like a few hours ago and I start to act as if I've known him more than anyone else. "You worry too much. I can take care of myself," I simply reply to him.

He lowers his head and runs a hand on his short black hair, "Anyway, I just want you to be careful and not to trust Mellark too much."

I shake my head. "Come on, let's hunt. The sun's not going to wait for this conversation to end."

He smiles, stands up and pulls out his spear from the ground then walks towards me. "Let's see if you can keep your focus maintained this time," he dares me. And together we run deeper into the forest.

After the hunt, Gale and I walk out of the forest and leave in separate ways towards our own houses. I managed to hunt down some rabbits and a deer. I'm quite lucky today despite what happened at school. I decide to go to Hob's to trade the rabbits and keep the deer for me, Prim and Mother, maybe I'll share some for Peeta. So I walk pass the boundary line between the Seam and the Town, and go straight to the Mellark's Bakery. As usual, the Bakery's full with customers hungry for cakes or breads. It's so packed and people have to make a line outside the bakery. I know I can't go in now so I think I should go to Hob's first.

"Where are you going, Katniss?" Greasy Sae says, an old woman who always trades good things with my captured animals.

While packing the foods she gave me, I simply say, "I'm going to Mellark's Bakery."

"Wow. I never knew you have the guts to go there. Is it because of the boys?" She grins and raises her eyebrows, gathering her wrinkles to her forehead.

I chuckle. "Yes but it's not the way you think it is. I'm just sharing some of the rabbits to Peeta Mellark."

"That explains why you're keeping those," she says and points a finger to the other rabbits that I hang on my belt. "So what makes you so interested to this Peeta?"

"I am not. It's just a token of gratitude and friendship," I murmur without thinking. I'm not sure myself if he's already my friend or not.

"He's your friend now?"

"I guess so."

"I'm glad. You've never been so open to anyone expect me, Gale, Prim and your mother."

I nod. "I know. Well, see you around, Sae." I grab the brown sack and let it hang over my shoulder as I exit Hob's.

When I return to the bakery, there are less people in the building. I stop in front of the front door and take a deep breath, preparing for the best or the worst as I turn the rusty doorknob.

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**Whoo! Cliffhanger! I'm not sure when will I update the next chapter but I hope you guys can be patient with me again. Reviews make me smile and update faster.**


	5. Welcome to the Mellark Bakery

**I haven't received so many reviews as I expected so I'm thinking if you guys want me to continue the story or not. Anyway, in this chapter, I'm adding new characters. I hope you guys will enjoy the story with new characters.**

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I swing the wooden door open and reveal a large room filled with breads lay on the trays in glassed cupboards and cakes that are displayed to anyone who walks by the bakery through the window. I remember how Prims's face looked like when she was younger when she stared at the colourful designed cakes with awe. I can also smell the scent of fresh breads from the ovens in the kitchen as I walk into the bakery. Customers who haven't bought anything are standing in front of the cupboards while holding a tray and a food tong, deciding what to buy.

At the cashier table, I see a boy with blonde hair which is the same as Peeta's, but his hair is cut shorter and he looks older. I'm guessing he's Peeta's older brother, if I'm not mistaken, his name is Peter Mellark. I'm surprised how people can call them easily without making a mistake because their names sound quite the same. He notices me and leans forward, placing his palms on the smooth surface of the table.

"What can I do to help such a beautiful lady like you?" He smiles and looks at me with his bright blue eyes.

I try to ignore his flirting by looking at the glassed door behind him which I know leads to the kitchen. "Is Peeta here?"

"Oh? Another one? I see my brother has so many visitors today. If I let you pass, I'm afraid there will be a cat fight in the shop," he says and puts his index finger on his chin.

What is he talking about? Is someone with Peeta right now? Once again, I ask, "Is he here?"

Peter smiles again and this time he smiles a crooked smile. "Why bother him while you can see me? I know he has quite a look but he's nothing when you compare him with me."

Annoyed, I ask, "What are you-?" But he cut me off.

"Besides, I'm older than you and I can treat you better than him. And if you see him now, you'll-…" His words are stopped when he gets pulled by someone bigger than him from the back.

I never noticed when the guy gets here but I'm glad he has. I remember Peeta has two older brothers so I'm guessing this guy is-

"What do you think you're doing? Flirting on a customer? Mother will seriously kill you for this," he barks at Peter with a rough voice.

"Come on, Patrick. You know I'm just kidding. So please be a kind big brother and don't tell this to mother," he turns his head to face his brother with an obvious humor in his voice and lays a hand on Patrick's shoulder.

He sighs in aggravation and rolls his eyes. "Make sure who you're dealing with too. If Peeta knows this he might kill you too."

"I got it, I got it. Sheesh, I know our baby brother can be too protective, but I'm just kidding, okay?" Peter says sarcastically.

"Um…" I interrupt. "Can I see Peeta?"

The Mellark boys look at me and Patrick tells me, "He's at the back of the bakery. You can use this way." He points the door behind him.

"Thanks," I say and walk past them and open the door. I walk through the hot kitchen where the baking takes place and finally I find the back door and open it. Then I see Peeta with a blonde-haired girl hooking her arm on his. However, I see him trying to untangle himself from her grasp. When I notice the girl is Delly Cartwright, I feel some kind of feeling inside me that makes me want to push her away.

"Come on, Peeta. Let's go on a date," she pulls him.

"Delly, we're not even together but you're already insisting me to go on a date with you. So I'm not going and I have lots of work to do in the bakery," he denies.

"Let your brothers do them. I'll talk to your parents afterwards, I'm sure they'll be okay with it," she insists.

Unable to witness their quarrel any longer, I clear my throat. They notice the sound I make and find me looking at them.

"Katniss?" Peeta says in surprise.

"Well, well, well. What is the Seam bitch doing here?" She smiles and tightens her hold on Peeta who is clearly in shock seeing me at his family's bakery.

"Don't you call her that way, Delly!" He shouts at her and rips her arm from his, and walks towards me. "Hey, I never knew you'd come. You should've told me sooner," says Peeta.

"I caught some rabbits and I was wondering I should give some to you and your family," I hand out the rabbits to him.

"Thank you. That's so thoughtful of you," he thanks me and takes them.

I can see Delly frown behind him. "Your welcome. I should be going now."

"Oh, okay," he sounds disappointed. "See you tomorrow then."

I nod and walk away and see a glimpse of Delly smirking. As I walk on my way home, my mind fills with my plan with Peeta on this Sunday; what should I do when I get him into the woods? Should I take the risk of him getting punished for entering the woods with no permission? Should I tell Gale about this? My thoughts sweep away when I accidentally bumped a guy. I get pushed back and that person grabs my arm with a strong hold.

"Sorry," I apologize and raise my head to see him.

He has the strangest hair I've ever seen. His hair almost reaches his shoulder and spiky, white from the top till the middle of his head and the rest is black. He parts his bangs in the middle so that they frame his face on either side as they fall, and in the center of the parting, he leaves a single strand of hair sticking up like an antenna. His eyes are amazingly red in colour, more like blood red. He has vertical-slit like pupils which resembles a wild animal's pupils.

"It's okay," he says and straightens me up. "You're Katniss Everdeen, right? The name's Seth Biers. Nice to meet you." He smiles widely, showing his perfect, white teeth and I notice two fangs.

"Are you a human?" I ask straightforwardly.

"Oh. You noticed these fangs, right?" He points a finger to his teeth.

"Not just that. Your eyes are different as well."

"Observant, aren't you, Kat?" _Kat? Nobody has ever called me that before, not even those who are close to me,_ I wonder.

"Just answer me," I start to get impatient.

"Okay. I'm not a human," he admits.

"Then what are you?" Curiosity builds inside me.

He's silent for a while. "You'll find out someday," he simply replies and then stalks away.

_What a strange guy, _I think as I continue my way home and finally reach my house.

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**So what do you think about the new characters, especially Seth Biers? I hope you guys approve his appearance in this story because I've always wanted to make his appearance in my stories so this is just like an experiment. If you guys are wondering how he looks like, go to my profile and click one of the links for DeviantArt. Of course, his clothes are not the same, but that's how he looks like. And I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Reviews make me smile.**


	6. The Everdeen family

**So I haven't received so much comment about Seth Biers yet so PM or review me if you don't want me to write more about him. Anyway this chapter Peeta doesn't appear at all because I'm trying to focus on Prim and Mrs. Everdeen. Have fun reading this chapter :)**

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Once I reach my house, Prim is sitting on the couch with her cat, Buttercup resting on her lap while she rubs his fur. I quietly and sneakily walk towards them and hide myself by crouching behind the couch Prim sits on, and then I jump and make a loud noise. She screams and jumps from the couch and Buttercup falls down to the floor. I grab my sister and push her back against the soft couch and tickle her waist.

"Stop! Stop! You're killing me!" She says between her laugh.

I giggle and stop tickling her. "I'm back."

"Welcome back," she pants and holds her stomach.

I look down to the floor and find Buttercup glaring at me while making a hissing sound between his teeth. Obviously he's mad at me for making him fall from Prim. But I know how to solve the problem.

"Shut up. I got you something," I say and pull out the rabbits from the sack.

He immediately shuts up and purrs at my leg. I roll my eyes and push the ugly cat away with my foot, then Prim scoops him in her arms.

"You're home, Katniss?" I hear a voice behind me and I turn around to see my mother standing beside the door that leads to the kitchen. She's wearing a white dress and a pair of socks that reach her lower knees. Her blonde hair is tied in bun.

"Yes, mother. I'm home. I caught some rabbits for dinner." I show her the rabbits and the deer.

She smiles slightly and walks towards me and takes them from my grasp. "Thank you, Katniss. I don't know what would've happened if we never had you after your father's death."

_You and Prim would've been rotting under the ground by now_, my mind says but the words never come out from my mouth. As much as how I'm still mad at her for the past few years, I never have the heart to express my anger at her. I know she's still having a hard time for my father's death, I mean we all do except for Prim, maybe. She was 7 when Father died so she wasn't old enough to remember the moments she had with him, besides he'd always spent his time in the coal mines. In his free time, he'd take me to the woods to teach me how to hunt and about survival. I still feel a little guilty because Prim never had the time to spend with her own father and now she's stuck with Mother who barely takes care of her own family.

"Go wash yourself and have some rest, sweetie. Dinner will be done by the time you finish your shower," Mother says and touches my dirty cheek, and then she walks back to the kitchen.

"Are you still mad at her?" My sister asks once I turn back to her. I smile at her and caress her face with my hands.

"You know I'm not really the forgiving type, so yeah but just a little," I say.

Prim sighs and rubs Buttercup again. "But it wasn't her fault," she whispers. I know she's talking about Father's death.

"I know. I just wish she'd gather her spirits and not just sit around and mourn for Father's death for so long," I say. I know this conversation will never end so I excuse myself, "I'm going to take a shower, okay?"

She nods as I climb up the stairs. I enter my room and pull my father's hunting jacket then lay it on my bed. I take a cold shower and after that I put on a red t-shirt and a pair of shorts, and then sprawl down on the soft bed. Mother sure keeps her promise that dinner will be prepared when I finish my shower because I can smell the scent of rabbit soup from the kitchen. Before Prim could come into my room and call me for dinner, I take my time of resting by taking a quick nap.

As soon as I shut my eyes down, images of today's events come rushing in my head; Delly's murderous glare, Miss Effie's scolding, Peeta enters the classroom, the humiliating hallway scene, the Town, Gale's warning about Peeta, Peter flirts at me, Patrick scolds Peter, giving Peeta the rabbits I caught and the strange guy, Seth Biers who claims he's not a human. _Ridiculous, _I think. Then I fall into a deep sleep.

A few minutes later, Prim rouses me up from my sleep and tells me to eat dinner. I rub my eyes and head downstairs with her. Like usual, our meal is just rabbit soup and some mashed potatoes with an extra deer meat. We eat quietly until Prim tells her about her day at school. She tells us that she and Rory, Gale's brother, are going to participate in a school play as the main characters. As far as I know Prim and Rory are close like siblings, like me and Gale. I decide to tell Mother and Prim about my plan with Peeta for this Sunday.

"You are going out with Peeta Mellark?" My mother says, she raises her voice when she mentions Peeta's family name.

She must've remembered the story of her leaving her Merchant life because I remember the story Father once told me that a man from the Town wanted to marry her but she ran away to the Seam to marry my father instead.

"Yes, but not exactly going out as in, dating," I reassure her. "He wants to go to the woods, that's all."

"I guess that's fine," she sighs in relief and takes another bite of meat.

"Can I see him some other time?" Prim stands up and exclaims happily, her eyes shines.

"Sure, I guess. I'll ask him first," I tell her. She sits back on her chair, still smiling.

We go back to our silent dinner while I think about Sunday's plan. For some reason, I can't wait for the day to come.

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**So there you go, that's chapter 6. I hope you don't mind me changing Mrs. Everdeen's personality a little because I've always wanted to make her sound a little responsible for her children, especially about dating. About Seth Biers, I'll maybe write him in the next chapter. Reviews make me smile.**


	7. Madge's appearance

**Hey, all. I'm sorry for taking too long to update the story. I admit I was getting lazy but I NEVER quit my story just because I'm lazy. And I said before that I'd write something about Seth but I didn't in this chapter 'cuz I'm still thinking what to write about him and some people dislikes him. So to make it up to you, chapter 7 is here. Have fun reading :)**

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I want to do all the dishes but Mother insists me to go to bed. So I kiss Prim a goodnight kiss and go upstairs. I immediately fall asleep once I reach my bed.

The next day, the bright light from the sun shines through the thin curtain that hangs over my window. I rouse myself on the bed and I sit up, stretching my arms upwards. I get off the bed and change from my tank top and shorts to a blue checkers and black jeans. Then, I grab my backpack and go downstairs. "Morning, Little Duck," I greet Prim who is sitting on a chair in the kitchen. She's holding a thick paper; the script for the play.

"Good morning,"she replies without looking at me, then continues on mumbling her dialogues.

"Good morning, Katniss." I hear my mother's voice and she appears behind the wall of the kitchen, holding two plates of eggs and bacon.

"Morning, Mother," I say and sit next to Prim. Mother puts our breakfasts on the table and makes Prim stop practicing for a while to eat her breakfast.

"Katniss, are you going to come home straight after school?" Mother asks.

I shrug, "I don't know. Why?"

"I'll be having a meeting with the nurses that are coming from District 2 so I'll be home late and Prim's going to stay over at her friend's house to practice their play. So I need you to watch over the house."

I stare at Prim and she gives me an apologetic smile. She knows that I hate getting stuck in the house, even if it's just a day. "Fine, then."

"You can bring a friend over to accompany you, you know," Prim says softly.

"Good idea but I don't have any friends," I know that I can't bring Gale over because today he has an extra-shift in the coal mines.

"What about Peeta?" She suggests.

"I'm not sure if he has the time," I disagree, munching my egg.

"Why don't you just ask him? I'm sure he'd love to."

I give her a nod.

"Katniss, if you're really going to bring him over, please, just please don't do anything stupid," Mother starts to lecture me.

"I know. I'm not going to do something like that. You know I'm not interested in things like having a boyfriend, or having a child," I cut her off.

"I know, I'm just saying. We don't know if the boy thinks the same thing."

I doubt that Peeta would do something like that but there is a possibility since he's just like any other teenagers. "Come on, Prim. Are you done?" I say, putting my fork down and stand up.

"Yesh," she answers with her mouth full, then grabs her bag and script.

"Have a nice day, girls!" Mother shouts and waves at us.

I don't bother to wave back because I can feel my sister waving back at her. We walk together to school and Prim speaks her dialogues while I hold her script to make sure she memorizes them well. When we arrive at her school, I give her a kiss on her forehead and she walks away.  
I climb the stairs of my school's building and open the doors. Students busy themselves by stuffing their books into their lockers, chatting with their friends, and kissing in the hallway.

I go straight to take my locker to take my Chemistry books. After closing it, a girl stands beside me.  
She has a light blonde hair and fair skin, she looks like Delly except that her eyes are green and she's slightly taller. I remember her name is Madge Undersee.

"Hi. You're Katniss Everdeen, right?" She speaks politely.

"Yes," I simply say.

"I'm Madge Undersee. You saved my sister yesterday," she explains.

"Oh, so you're her sister. Then where were you yesterday?" I sound rude but I want to know why she didn't come to save her own sister.

"I had a fever," she says, looking down at the floor.

Feeling bad, I say, "Sorry for being rude."

"No. It's okay. I should've been there to save her. So I want to thank you for that."

"It's no big deal."

We become silent after that until she says, "You're having Chemistry for first period with me, right?"

"Yeah."

"Then let's go together," she invites me and I tag along.

As we walk to class together, my mind says 'Looks like I made a new friend.' And I smile in that thought. In the lab, Madge and I talk about our routine life. I find out that her mother works as a nurse and her father works as one the traders at the Hob. I tell her that my father died in the mines and my mother works as a nurse. I ask her to come over to my house later and have a sleepover and she says okay. The class ends sooner than I expected. So this is how it feels to have a girl friend.

We leave the classroom and then we stumble onto Peeta at the hallway.

"Hi, Katniss," he greets me with a smile.

"Hi," I say.

Madge pulls my arm and whispers at my ear. "I-is that... P-Peeta M-Mellark?"

Uh-oh. Madge is another fan of Peeta? "Yeah."

"Oh? You made a friend?" He sounds amazed.

"Yeah. Peeta, this is Madge. Madge, Peeta," I introduce them to each other.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Madge," Peeta says to her, shaking her hand.

Her breath gets more rapid and she looks as if she's about to faint.

"I-it's nice t-to meet you t-too," she staggers.

Peeta smiles a big smile and comes back to me. "We have History next, are you ready to go?"

"Yeah." I turn to Madge, "I'll see you later, okay?"

"Okay," she whispers but I know she's not really thinking.

I practically dragged Peeta into the crowd so that she'll wake up from her daydream.

"Don't do that," I say, letting him go.

"Do what?"

"Making my friend hallucinate at the middle of the hallway."

"I didn't do it in purpose," he says.

"Yeah. Well, just make sure not to look so attractive in front of her again," I tell him.

"I'm not sure if I can handle that," he jokes and I glare at him. "Okay, I'll try."

I smile as we enter the classroom.

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**So there you go. I finally added Madge into the story. I hope you like the way I wrote about her. Since we don't really know about her in the books, I decide to do something about it, for example I added that she has a sister but she actually doesn't have one.**

**I don't know if you guys tried the Facebook game: Hunger Games Adventures. But I wish you did. And if you didn't, you should try it, though the game makers are still trying to improve the game and get rid of the bugs. My character is now on level 27 and I'm so proud of it.**


	8. Trouble

**Thanks for the reviews, guys. I'm starting to write more characters from the original series and I decided to write about Haymitch too, so he will appear in the next chapter. Enjoy :)**

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I take a seat that has an empty table and Peeta sits next to me. I look around to check if Delly is looking.

Sure she is. She gives me a death glare and raises her middle finger at me. I scoff at her and turn around.

"When did you start befriending with Madge?" Peeta asks, twirling a pencil between his fingers.

"A few hours ago, I guess," I answer him.

"You can make new friends so fast, impressive," he praises me and I feel a little humbled.

"That's because she's very friendly."

He nods, and then Ms. Effie enters the classroom. She starts to babble about a project; we have to do a research about Panem's history and each group consists of two people. The group who wins will get a full mark for the next exam. Delly rushes to our table and flirts to ask Peeta to team up with her; she leans towards the table and gets closer to him, her white, thin blouse's top buttons are open and I can see her black lacy bra underneath her blouse.

"Peeta, let's make up a team and we'll uncover each other's history, and maybe more," she says seductively, twirling a strand of her curls with her finger. Any guy would jump onto her and do what God knows.

However, Peeta rejects her, saying, "Sorry, Delly. I want to study history, not biology. And I want to team up with Katniss."

Well, that makes her pissed off and she leaves with a loud 'hmph' and she re-buttons her buttons.

"Way to go, Mellark," I say, elbowing his arm.

He chuckles. "Did I do well for not looking so attractive?" He asks, making a curious face.

"Not well enough," I say. And his mouth makes a pout, and he makes a face that looks like a puppy crying. "All right, all right. You did a good job," I say. I am rewarded with a big smile from him.

"So, what are we going to do for the project?" He changes the topic.

"I don't know," I honestly answer him.

"Why don't we ask anyone who knows a lot about Panem?" That sounds good. "Do you know anyone like that?"

Actually, I do know someone who knows so much about this country. So I tell him, "Yeah. Haymitch Abernathy."

Peeta's eyes go wide. "Whoa. You know _the _Haymitch Abernathy?"

"Sure I do," I sound a little proud.

Haymitch is the famous drunk in both Town and Seam. He drinks everyday either at the Town's pub or at the Hob. I've heard about him drinking at least 30 bottles of liquor in an hour. I see him sometimes whenever I do some trading. To tell the truth, he's not a very nice person. The first time I saw him, he threw a dart in front of my eyes because he'd mistaken me as a dartboard. He even called me names like 'Amateur hunter', 'Dirty brat' and things like that. Because of those reasons, I don't really care about him. But I've spoken to him a few times, and the conversations always didn't end up well.

There's only one thing that stops me from hating him; he's good in story-telling and Prim likes to listen to one of his stories though I keep on telling her that some of them were made up. Sometimes he would tell us some histories of Panem which he learnt from his grandparents. I wish Peeta and I can just ask his grandparents but unfortunately, they died way too many years ago.

"So I guess we'll take him as our trump card then," Peeta says, writing on his notebook Haymitch's name and draws an arrow next to it and writes 'Must remember to ask'.

"I guess so. But I should tell you he's not very nice," I warn him.

"I know. But it's not like we have any other choice."

I sigh. He has a good point. If we want to succeed in this project, we should at least give it a try. Not long after that, the bell rings and we scramble from our seats and head out from the classroom. The next class is English, and I have both Peeta and Madge in that class. As we walk to our lockers to pick out our English textbooks, we meet up with Madge.

"Hi, Katniss. Hi, Peeta," she greets us. Wow, she's not staggering like before. That's great.

"Hey," Peeta and I say at the same time.

"Oh my God, are we going to go to class together?" She shrieks.

Peeta gives her a smile."Yes."

Once again, she looks she's like about to pass out and I roll my eyes, _fan-girls. _On the way to class, Madge walks beside me and Peeta walks behind us. Honestly, I can't really focus on studying with my friends sitting beside me in class. So the class ends in a blink of an eye. Its time for lunch break, we find a place to sit at an empty table in the cafeteria. People stare at us with curious eyes. Of course people are staring at us; a Seam girl eating lunch with the charming Peeta Mellark and the mayor's daughter, Madge Undersee. It's something that you don't see everyday.

We talk as we eat, well, mostly Peeta and Madge do all the talking and I'm just listening. I don't remember when was the last time I talked so much with other people other than Gale. I think it's not for a change. The day ends very well, and Peeta decides to meet me at around 4 so that we can start our project, then he leaves to his house. Madge and I walk home together. On the way home, she starts to babble how happy she is to finally able to talk to Peeta, and I feel happy for her. However, the happy moment ends when Delly and her gang appear in front of us.

"Hello, Madge," she grins at us, crossing her arms against her chest. Kelly and Diana are doing the same pose beside her.

"Hello, Delly," Madge politely greets her back, obviously doesn't know her bad intentions.

"What do you want?" I ask bluntly.

"Oh, nothing. Can't I say hello to some friends?" She looks at her pink fingernails with a proud look.

"I don't remember we were friends," I say.

"Whatever. Let's get to the point: I want you guys to stay away from Peeta. He's MINE!" She shouts at us with an obvious rage. "Especially you, Seam bitch!"

Anger boils in my blood in my every vein. "He belongs to no one, especially not you!" I shout back at her.

"We'll see about that," she threatens in a deadly voice, and snaps her fingers. Kelly and Diana surround Madge in a few second later. They grab her by the arms and pull her away from her.

"Katniss, help!" She screams.

I am about to run towards her but Delly stops me. "Whoa. I won't do that if I were you," she warns me, raising her index finger and moves it from right to left repeatedly. "Now, listen to me or she's gonna get it."

I make a 'tsk' sound and I have no choice but to listen to her. "What do you want me to do?"

"Nothing much, I want you to stay away from Peeta from now on." I nod. "And just as a warning." She snaps her fingers and Kelly hits Madge on the stomach repeatedly. She makes a yelping sound and starts to cough. It takes every will of mine not to run to Kelly and give her some beatings.

"Stop!" I yell and I look to the ground. "I'll do it. I'll do whatever you tell me."

"Good. Now I want you to stand still and don't fight back," Delly orders me. Once I raise my head upwards, the three girls who hate me are surrounding me, leaving Madge lying on the ground. One by one, they hit my face, my stomach, and my shoulders with their fists.

I don't know how long I get tortured. My eyesight is getting hazy and my legs are wobbly, but I refuse to bow to them. Delly is about to give me a finishing blow until someone grabs her arm just right before it reaches me. The last thing I see is a guy with black and white hair, wearing a black, long jacket standing in front of me. Not long after that, I pass out.

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**Whooo! Cliff-hanger. Please don't kill me for making Katniss sound like a weakling. She had no choice because Delly and the gang got Madge. I mean, what would you do if you're friend is in danger and you are forced to do what they ask you. About the rescuer, you'll see him in the next chapter. Reviews make me smile.**


	9. Haymitch's appearance

**OMG I can't believe I received more reviews than I expected. Thanks a lot, guys. Especially to MrsHutcherson16, Kpfan72491, dogalena and CrunchyMunchers, you guys are the best. Please keep on supporting me. And about the rescuer, you'll see who he is in this chapter. **

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I wake up and blink my eyes a few times. The first thing I see is the blue sky and white clouds. My head hurts pretty badly, so I raise my hand and hold my head. Oh God, I swear that I'm seeing stars. _Delly. Delly! Oh my God! Where is she?_ I sit up and my head spins more.

"Yo. You're up?" I hear a voice says behind me. It's the strange guy, Seth Biers. He's sitting on a tree trunk, his elbows are lying on his knees and he leans forward. The black jacket I saw before I passed out was actually his and now it's lying next to his hip. And he's wearing a white tank top and a pair of black pants tucked in purple boots. His red eyes are looking straight at me, his face is unreadable.

"What are you doing here?" I say. "Where's Delly?"

He chuckles. "She's right over there next to you."

I turn my head to my right, and he's right. She's here, sleeping peacefully, though I can see a slight bruise on her cheek.

"She refuses to leave you, you know," Seth continues.

"Then why didn't you just send me home?" I ask.

"I don't have your house's key. Unless you want me to kick the door open, I can do that," he says proudly. "Is this how you say thanks to the person who just saved you?"

I hate to admit it but he's right. Annoyed, I say, "Thanks for saving us. Now tell me, how did you know I was here?" I demand.

His eyes roll to the other side and he leans backwards. "Well, let's see... How should I explain it?" He crosses his arms against his chest and closes his eyes. A few seconds later, he opens them. "Let's just say that I'm kind of a protector."

I narrow my eyes.

"Okay. That's not the right word." He scratches his head, making his hair messier then he snaps his fingers. "Right! I'm a friend who watches over his friends."

"In another words, a stalker?"

"Nope. Stalkers are creepy." He makes a disgusted face.

"Well, you're creeping the hell out of me," I say with a half-hearted smile.

He laughs silently. "Okay. Jokes over. Let's get Mads home."

"Mads? Are you a close friend of hers?" I ask, curious. To be honest, I still can't fully trust him. I mean, he always comes out of nowhere and then act as if he knows everyone and everything.

"Nope. I just have a habit of calling people with their nickname or names that people never use," he explains.

I nod and before standing up, I try to rouse Madge from her dreams. But Seth advices that it's better not to wake her up because she's tired. He ties his jacket's sleeves into a knot around his waist and lifts her up in his arms easily, as if she only weights a few pounds.

"Where's her house?" He asks.

It's not that hard to look for Madge's house. All we have to do is to find a very big house with beautiful designs and carvings. When I knock the door, her maid opens it and gasps in the sight of her mistress in the arms of a young man. I tell her everything and I make her keep it as a secret because I don't want the Mayor finds out about this. I tell the maid to leave Madge a message that the sleepover is cancelled, and she can have any sleepovers anytime she wants. After Madge is brought to her room, we leave the house.

"So, what happened to Delly?" I ask Seth as we walk on the way to my house.

"Oh. Just when she was about to finish you off, I grabbed her arm and glared her and said, 'Touch her and you're gonna regret it,'" he makes a low, threatening voice and a scary face. "Then they simply ran off."

I stay silent because I remember that I have to do whatever she tells me or she'll hurt Madge again. Seth seems to notice this because he cheers me up. "Hey, don't worry about them. I can protect you and your friends from them."

I don't like it when people say they want to protect me because it makes me sound like a weakling. And I hate being a weakling. "I don't need your help. In fact, I don't need anyone's help. I can take care of myself," I say harshly. I thought he'd back off; instead he looks at me with an are-you-kidding-me look.

"Look, Kat. You don't need to act tough, okay? Sometimes you need to rely on your friends to solve some problems."

"You're not my friend," I point out; he's getting in my nerves.

"Yet," he adds.

I groan. "Why don't you just leave me alone?"

He raises his hands in front of him in defense. "Okay, fine. Just remember that I'll be there when you need help." And then he turns his back to me and walks away. His spiky black and white hair is blown by the wind and he keeps his hands inside his pants' pockets.

I angrily make my way to my house. Once I reach it, I unlock the door and slam it behind me. I immediately slump onto the couch and let out a heavy breath. _What a long day,_ my mind says and I drift to sleep without bothering to do something about my wounds.

I am awakened by a loud bang from the door. I look at the clock and it's already 7 at night. I stomp my way to the door and open it, revealing Haymitch Abernathy standing at my doorway.

"Hey, kid," he grunts, and his body reeks of alcohol. "Your mother rang. Told me to look after ya. In case you bring a boy home."

I gape at him in disbelief. How could my mother leave me with a drunk if she can just ask Greasy Sae to look after me? "Well, there's no one here except me and where's Sae?" I ask.

"Have to look after her granddaughter. Fever problem." He looks inside the house. "Well, aren't ya going to let me in?"

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**I'm sorry to disappoint you guys who thought the rescuer was either Peeta or Haymitch. Please don't kill me. I did tell you that Seth will appear soon. I thought I needed to show the character's growth. I promise the next chapter is about Haymitch. Reviews make me smile.**


	10. Haymitch's past

**I guess I've disappointed most of you guys because I only received 3 reviews. I know most of you wanted the rescuer to be Peeta or Haymitch, but I want Seth to show his concern for Katniss. To make it up to you guys, I decide to write about Haymitch's history and the reason why he became a heavy drunk (in the books, it's because of the games and his family's death). Have fun reading :)**

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I don't know if I should let a drunk, middle-aged man step into my house, even though Mother asked him to babysit me. I don't think he's going to wait for me to decide, so I let him in. He walks past me without a word and sits on the couch and lays two bottles of alcohol on the table. His dark hair is combed backwards and his stubble is as messy as his hair.

"Give me a glass," he orders me.

I cross my arms against my chest and give him an angry stare. "You're not going to drink in my house," I tell him.

"Make me," he challenges, then gets up and walk past me to the kitchen and grabs my mother's favourite glass.

"Hey! You can't use that!" I approach him but he simply holds my head and pushes me in an arms length. I try so hard to take the glass from his hand but he's so strong for a drunk.

Even though I'm still pushing my way, he simply pours the liquor into the glass without any difficulty, and starts to drink. He releases his grab on my head and slumps on the couch again, raises his legs and puts them on the table. He really makes himself at home.

"This is my house, so show some manners." Why do I sound like Ms. Effie? Who cares? This is my house anyway.

He merely burps and doesn't give a crap. The smell of the alcohol from his mouth is just as bad as his body. I have to cover my nose with both of my hands to hold out the smell. He grabs the TV's remote control and hits the switch button. The TV turns on and plays a comedy show, and he bursts out laughing like crazy.

I know whatever I'm going to say will be pointless. I groan and warn him, "Don't make a mess. I'm going to take a shower." His only reply is his laughter.

I run upstairs and enter my room then immediately close the door behind me. I grab my three-quarter shorts and brown shirt, and head to the bathroom. In the shower, I take a few glimpses of the bruises on my stomach and shoulders. I guess those bitches can really hit. I scrub the bruises with the warm water from the shower and that makes them feel a lot better. Once I finish showering, I look at my reflection through the mirror in my room. My face doesn't look so bad; just a slight bruise on my cheek and eye. If Prim was here, she'd panic like hell and force me to rest. I apply some ointments on the bruises and hope they will be gone by tomorrow.

I walk back downstairs only to discover a drunken Haymitch on the couch. He laughs maniacally and points to the TV. The table is wet due to the spilled alcohol and there are some chips splattered on the surface. Mother's glass is his hand, filled with the new-poured liquor. I feel myself get furious, and I stomp in front of him and cover the TV with my body.

"Oh. Hey, kid. Could ya scoot a little? Can't see the TV," he says, using the remote control to indicate me to step away.

Instead, I snatch the remote from him and turn off the TV, and put it away.

"The hell? I was in a good part!" He complains.

"The good part for me is for you to get out of my house now!" I yell at him.

He grunts and lays down on the couch, and take another gulp of his drink. It seems he's not going to leave.

"Fine. I'll just leave you drink yourself to sleep, got it?" I walk to the kitchen to grab a towel and a sweeper. Not long after that, I start to wonder how he turned into a horrible drunk like himself right now. Once I finish cleaning the mess, I ask him, "How did you turn out into like this?"

He burps again and I almost change my mind. "A long story, sweetheart," he whispers.

Sweetheart? I guess he's really drunk. "I can wait," I insist.

I'm not sure if he really wants to open up or he's too drunk to notice what he's doing, but all I know is that I'm not going to stop him from telling me his past.

"I was ten when my father died, and my mother started to raise my younger brother and me all by herself," he starts his story. I take a seat in front of him. "We were poor at that time, and my mother was quite stressed from all the work she did all by herself. So she started to drink. I began to take care of myself ever since then; I worked at the coal mines as the boy who served food to the miners. Whenever she came back from 'work', she would just snap at us for being a burden and she'd start to hit us." He stops to take another sip, and then continues. "I started to rebel my own mother at the age of thirteen. At that time, I befriended with a girl, Maysilee Donner."

Maysilee Donner? Wasn't she Mother's best friend? I heard about her a few years back when Mother used to tell us about her friends. I never knew Haymitch had a crush on her.

"We were very close at that time, possibly more than friends. So I asked her out and she accepted. We had a happy four years relationship. Until my mother found out about it." His voice is filled with pain and hurt. "She disapproved our relationship, even to the level of hitting Maysilee in front of me. She made us broke up. I hated her so much, but not until the urge to kill her. I was seventeen so I didn't care what she said, and after our break-up, I decided to meet Maysilee secretly. A thunderstorm began when my mother discovered about this. She was so furious to the extent of grabbing a knife. She threatened to kill Maysilee if she insisted to meet me. My brother was there to back me up so when my mother was about to stab her, he stepped in the way."

"Mother was truly devastated for my brother's death and she continued her plan to kill Maysilee. I was too shocked from the sight of my brother got stabbed by our mother until I couldn't move. She started to reason with my mother but to no avail, she got stabbed by her too. I cradled my girlfriend's dead body in my arms as my mother laughed like a maniac and resumed by stabbing herself. And that's what happened; under the heavy rain, I watched the people I loved die in front of my eyes without doing anything." He finishes his story with a laugh but there's no sense of humor in it, just the sound of grief and sadness. "I'm telling ya, sweetheart. In this world, everything is just a junk shit. No matter who or what it is, they are going to slip from you one day."

With that piece of advice or warning, I'm not sure; he falls into a deep sleep. I'm still sitting on the chair, staring at this poor man sleeping on my couch. All these years, I've been wrong about him. He's just a lost man in a world where he has no one else to live with. It saddens me. I grab a blanket and cover his body with it.

I go upstairs silently and fall onto my bed, still thinking about Haymitch's advice: _No matter who or what it is, they are going to slip from you one day._ I cover my face with a pillow and my mind thinks, '_I will not let that happen to me. Not ever' _as my eyes begin to feel heavy and eventually I fall to sleep.

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**Phew. Finally done with Haymitch's history. I guess I made his story a little tragic, huh? Well, for someone like him, he must come from a ****miserable childhood. I'm sorry to Haymitch fans, please don't kill me.**

**Bad news to all my readers, I have to stop writing from now on. I have an upcoming exam in a week and I haven't started studying. Maybe I'll continue updating my story around August so please keep on supporting me. Thanks, you guys. Reviews make me smile.**


	11. Threat

**Hey, guys. I'm bac****k. I know it's not August yet and I haven't finished my exam. But I get tempted by the ideas that I thought of while I was away. Screw exam, so I decide to update the story but I can't spend too much time on my laptop so I wrote a long chapter. Some people wanted Peeta back and they won't be disappointed 'cuz he's here in this chapter. Enjoy :)**

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My eyes start to flutter open when the sunlight shines brightly outside my window. I sit up on my bed and rub my eyes. One of them still stings from the bruise caused by Diana yesterday. I go to the bathroom to check on my wounds. Sure they're still there but the bruises are getting better. The bruise on my eye is already healed. I strip myself from my pajama and change to my regular school clothes; a button-down shirt and a pair of jeans. To cover my bruises I wear my orange jacket. Thank God winter season is almost coming so it won't be so hot to wear a jacket outside.

I check on my mother's room and see her sleeping soundly on her bed. Once I'm downstairs, I discover Haymitch has left the house. I go to the kitchen and cook myself a breakfast. Trust me when I say I'm a terrible cook because my egg has turned into a half-burnt egg and my baked beans turn into some kind of blackberries. I fight the terrible taste and shove them into my mouth. Mother is still sleeping upstairs so I leave a message on the dining table.

_Mother, _

_Prim isn't home yet so I cooked some eggs for you. Eat them if you don't mind the taste. The dirty clothes are already in the laundry room; please wash them if you already ate. I'm going to come home late because I have a History project with Peeta. I'll be back around 5, maybe._ _M__ake sure you take care of yourself. _

_Katniss._

With the eggs are served on the dining table, I grab my backpack and leave for school. I walk towards the boundary that separates the Town and the Seam and see Peeta leaning back against the big tree where we used to hang out the day we met.

He's wearing a black T-shirt and a pair of dark green baggy. His bag is thrown over his shoulder and hangs at behind him. His blonde hair seems shining under the sunlight. Is it me or he looks more handsome than before? I shake my thoughts and walk to him.

"Hi, good morning," he greets me with a smile when he sees me.

"Hey. Morning," I reply.

"What happened yesterday? I thought I told you we'd meet at 4," he doesn't sound angry, just curiosity and concern.

Shit! I totally forgot about our project. "Something happened," I simply tell him.

"And that is…?" He demands for an answer.

I'm silent for a while to think of an answer. I come up with an answer that Prim had a fever so I couldn't go. He seems to understand because he doesn't ask anymore questions. He simply asks how Prim is feeling and I tell him she's fine. I feel bad for lying to him when he's worried about me.

We walk together to school and I immediately think about Delly. Should I avoid Peeta from now on? I push the thought away because I believe that after Seth scared them away, they'd never try to do anything to me anymore. Besides, I can't simply avoid him because of the project we're working on currently.

"I don't see Madge. Something happened to her?" He wonders.

I don't think she's coming to school today, probably too scared to face Delly and her friends. Speaking of them, they're not at school too. "I don't know. Maybe she has something to do," I tell him.

He nods. "Have you asked Haymitch about the project?" Peeta asks.

"Nope, I didn't have the time," I say.

"So should we ask him after school?" He suggests.

"Sure. If he's not drunk."

We arrive at school just in time before class starts. He leaves for Art while I leave for gym. Physical Education has been my favourite class because in this class I can exercise my muscles. Today we're having netball for girls and soccer for the guys. With the help of my agility, my team easily wins with a score of 16-0. I sit on the bleachers to take a break when I feel someone tap on my shoulder and I see Peeta sitting behind me with a sketchpad on his lap.

"What are doing here? Aren't you having Art class right now?" I ask him.

"We are. Mr. Cinna told us to draw a portrait of students from other classes," he explains.

"And you're choosing to draw me?" I ask in disbelief.

"Why not? You are beautiful in your gym clothes." I believe my heart speeds up when he praises me.

I never heard anyone compliments me for my appearance, except Mother. But mothers are always praising you for the way you look so it doesn't count. I don't know but whenever Peeta is with me, he can make me smile and laugh. And I'm grateful for him being my friend.

"Fine. But don't get your hopes too high," I warn him as he steps on the seat beside me to sit on the seat in front of me.

"Oh, don't worry. Your portrait will be perfect," he says, smiling and starts to scribble on his sketchpad.

After some time of sketching and colouring, Peeta brushes some dust erasers and holds his sketchpad in front of him to see his drawing. I can see his lips form a satisfied smile from my spot.

"You want to see it?" He offers me.

"No, thanks. I must look terrible," I reject the offer, stretching my stiff body.

"Come on. Stop being so self-conscious," he insists and sits next to me, holding up the drawing.

I know resisting is futile so I grab it, and I see a beautiful young lady sitting on a gym bleacher under the sunlight that shines from the window up above the wall behind her. Her brown hair is tied in a braid and it hangs over her shoulder. The orange shirt she's wearing shows the curve of her body and her shorts are revealing her legs to her middle thighs. Her grey eyes are actually sparkling and the sweat dripping on her face shines because of the sunlight which makes her look so beautiful.

"Oh my God, Peeta. This is…" I can't find the right word to describe it.

"She's beautiful, isn't she?"

"This is amazing. You drew the ugly me to this pretty girl. Your hands are really talented," I say, still looking at the portrait.

"It's not that my hands are talented. This is how I see you, my hands are just describing how you look," he says softly.

I lay the sketchpad on my lap and stare at him. I can't believe this is how he sees me. I mean, I'm just a girl from the Seam. I am about to say something back but I stop when he reaches his hand out to brush a strand of my hair. I am surprised of his affection towards me and how close his face is to mine. It's more than an affection to a friend, it's like something more.

Suddenly, the bell rings to tell us that the first period is over. He leans back and I immediately feel lonely. "Thanks for letting me draw you," he says.

"No, thank _you_ for making me look beautiful," I thank him and returns his sketchpad.

He takes it and smiles. "Your welcome." He stands up and I do the same. "Go and change, I'll wait for you," he tells me.

I go to the locker room and take a quick shower. I change back to my previous clothes and exit the locker room to see Peeta waiting for me next to the gym's door. Fortunately, we have a free period so we go to the library and discuss about our project. We refer to some history books from the library as an add-up and decide to meet Haymitch right after school. After the free period is over, we leave for each other's class. I don't see him after that until school is over. We go straight to the Hob, hoping that Haymitch is there.

Our hopes are not disappointed; he's drinking thirstily at the farthest table but he doesn't look drunk yet. We approach him and he says, "Well, hey there, kid. Having a date with a handsome boyfriend?"

I feel myself blush and I hear Peeta laughing softly behind me. "We're not having a date, and he's not my boyfriend!" I snap at Haymitch.

"I see. So what do you lovebirds want?" He asks, grinning.

I groan. Peeta steps in front of me and tells him, "We want you to help us for our history project."

Haymitch blinks a couple of times and sits backwards. "What do I get in reward?"

"I'll buy you more bottles of alcohol," Peeta offers and that sets him up.

"So what are you waiting for? Ask away?"

He asks the questions while I write down Haymitch's answers. It's almost 4 when the interview is over. As promised, Peeta bought him more alcohol and he starts to drink heavily. Then we leave the Hob with a satisfied smile. Peeta wants to hang out and I decide to go with him. We spend our time talking in a restaurant at the Town. When it's almost 5, I tell him I need to go home. So we leave to each other's house.

On my way home, I stumble with none other than Delly, Diana and Kelly. God, when will they leave me alone? "What do you guys want?"

"I thought I told you to stay away from Peeta," Delly hisses.

"Sorry, I cross-fingered. And didn't Seth warn you guys not to touch me?" I say.

"So that guy is actually your bodyguard," Kelly says and Delly laughs.

"He told us not to touch you, and not anyone else," Diana says.

"What do you mean?" I ask. Are they trying to harm Madge again?

"She means that we can use someone else instead of Madge to control you," explains Delly.

I am shocked when I find out that they would harm someone just to make sure I do what they say. But who?

"You have a cute sister. What's her name? Primrose Everdeen?" She states.

My eyes immediately open wide in surprise. "Leave her alone!" I shout.

"Don't worry; we won't do anything to her. My only wish is for you to avoid Peeta from now on," she demands. "Show me your hands and promise me."

I nod and raise my hands to let them know I don't cross my fingers. "I will."

"Good," she says, smiling a smile that makes me want to punch her.

The girls walk past me and Kelly says, "That's what you get for messing with Delly."

I quickly run to my house to make sure Prim is okay. I open the door and she is sitting on the couch while watching TV.

"Hi, Katniss. What's wrong?" She asks me with a concerned face.

I simply lay my backpack on the couch next to her and wrap my arms around her and hug her tightly. At first she doesn't hug me back but eventually she does. I suddenly remember Haymitch's advice from last night: _No matter who or what it is, they are going to slip from you one day. _He's right. I'm letting Peeta slip away from me.

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**I know it's not a good ending. But I promise things will get better in the next chapters. I need to leave the laptop for a while so please be patient with me. Reviews make me smile.**


	12. Decision

**Hey guys. I'm officially back now. I'm amazed with the reviews I got. You guys are just amazing, and I appreciate every one of you. I've written 2 chapters for the story; I'll update the next chapter tomorrow. So chapter 12's here, have fun.**

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"Katniss, what's wrong?" My sister asks again in my embrace.

I squeeze her one more time then I finally let her go. "Nothing. I just missed you," I simply say.

She giggles, "I missed you too but I was just gone for one day." Her smile fades into a worried expression. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Surely I can't tell her about Delly's threat. That would just make her feel so bad; she'll probably even blame herself. So I tell her, "I'm one hundred percent sure." Then I ruffle her hair lightly, messing her beautiful blonde hair.

"Katniss, is that you?" I hear Mother's voice coming from the stairs as she walks downstairs, tying her house robe's ribbon in a knot. Her hair is still wet from her shower and her skin is a little pale.

"Yes, mother," I answer her, rising from the couch.

"Can I talk to you in the kitchen?" She asks.

What the hell? Mother never asks me for a talk ever since I was ten which was when I was caught hitting a kid in my class because he made fun of my braids. "Um… sure," I say, my voice breaks.

We walk to the kitchen together; leaving Prim with a curious look on her face but Buttercup comes out of nowhere and jumps to her lap to accompany her. Mother sits on one of the chairs of the dining table while I stand near to sink, leaning back against the counter and cross my arms against my chest. She lays her elbows on the table and leans forward; her entwined hands cover her face just under her nose and lets out a heavy breath.

"I want to apologize, Katniss," she whispers, lowering her hands on the table. "I'm sorry for abandoning you and Prim for these 5 years of solitude. I left you girls to take care of yourselves even though I lived with you. The loss of your father was just too much for me to bear. I thought I only mourned for him just for short time. I didn't realize it has been 5 years since your father left us." I can hear the regret in her voice when she continues. "I promise, from now on I'll be the mother you used to know and I'll take care of you two again. Please give me a chance, Katniss."

This takes me so surprised that I can't say anything. I knot my eyebrows in frustration because I can't make a decision. Part of me screams in happiness because my mother finally comes back from her zombie state and another part of me is confused either to forgive her or not. But her eyes are sparkling with hope and expectation. I simply turn around and am about to step out of the kitchen. I tell her without turning back in a hope that she can't see my face, "Apologize to Prim first, she deserves more to hear your apology than me."

I can hear her release her breath that I don't know how long she held. "I understand. I won't disappoint you this time," she says, clearly relieved with my decision to forgive her.

She stands up and walks past me to the living room. She talks to Prim as I watch the bond of a daughter and a mother joins together. Prim's lips make the brightest smile I've ever scene and her eyes start to pool with tears, and she holds her sobs before she throws her arms around Mother. I don't notice I'm crying too until I feel my tears flow down to my cheeks. Prim sees me and her eyes tell me _Come here and have a hug too._

I laugh silently and walk towards them. Mother releases her arm from Prim so that I can have a space between them. Together, we share a warm mother-daughter embrace on the couch of our small house. When my stomach grumbles, we laugh together and head to the kitchen again. I prepare the table while Mother and Prim cook. During dinner, we talk more to each other; we joke around and laugh. I don't remember when was the last time I had so much fun during dinner with my family.

After dinner, I go straight to my room after saying goodnight to Mother and Prim. I don't even mind not to take a shower, I just lay on my bed, thinking about today's events; Peeta drawing my portrait, interviewing Haymitch, hanging out with Peeta at the restaurant, Delly threatening me again, my mother is back to herself. I'm glad that tomorrow is Saturday because I'm not going to meet Peeta tomorrow. My happy mood fades away when I remember that I have to avoid him from now on, for Prim's sake. No matter how lonely I will be at school; Madge will probably hate me for doing this. After sighing in exhaustion, I finally drift to sleep.

_I'm standing among a crowd where ever girl is wearing beautiful dresses and the guys are wearing tuxedos. Some of them are dancing and some are standing next to the tables, holding a glass of punch. I look at myself only to discover I'm wearing a red dress, then I look around to see if there is anyone I know. Finally, I see Peeta standing in middle of a crowd of girls. His hair is combed backwards beautifully and his aqua-blue eyes look so deep I can get lost in them. He's wearing a neat tuxedo and he looks like a dreamy Prince Charming that any girl would want. He excuses himself from the ladies and steps towards me. _

_He holds out his hand to me and says with a soft-velvet voice, "May I have this dance, milady?"_

"_Peeta, what-" I start, trying to hide my blush. But I'm stopped when a hand appears behind me, extending to hold Peeta's hand._

_I turn around to see Delly in a golden dress. Her hair is curled down and I hate to admit it, but she looks pretty. Peeta holds her hand tightly and pulls her close to his body and they start to dance in a slow dance. I am too stunned to see my friend dancing with my archenemy. The sight makes me want to puke. I am about to pull her away, until a strong hand grabs my arm from the back. I turn to see Gale also wearing a tuxedo._

_He smiles a crooked smile. "Dance with me, Catnip," he offers._

"_Later, Gale," I say and try to wriggle my arm off his grasp, but he has an iron grip._

"_Look at them, Catnip." He points to Peeta and Delly._

_I look at them and one of Delly's hands is locked behind his neck while the other one is holding his blonde hair, pulling him closer to her. Right before I know it, she starts to kiss him passionately and he kisses her back with the same force, wrapping his arms around her waist. Disbelief, shock, betrayal hits me in a lightning speed. Once again, I try to release Gale's grip on me. Instead, his grip becomes stronger and he uses both of his arms to lock waist and reels me towards him._

"_Forget about him, you can have me forever," he murmurs softly and leans in to kiss me._

"_NO!" I scream._

I sit up on my bed with my body and clothes drenched in sweat. The dream was so horrible that I can't think straight. I pull my knees to my chest and wait till sleep creeps to me again but I'm too afraid to face that dream again. I try to think why my heart tightens when I see Delly with Peeta. Am I jealous? No, I can't _like _Peeta. I simply can't. Not long after that I finally manage to fall asleep without another dream like just now.

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**Okay, you may not really like this chapter, especially about the dream part. Not every chapter has it's happy ending so I hope you'll understand. More to come in the next chapter. Reviews make me smile.**


	13. Broken friendship

**As promised, I'm updating the next chapter today. To Peeniss fans, you might kill me for doing this. But remember that this is just a part of progress in Katniss and Peeta's relationship. Of course, things just don't go smoothly. Please at least enjoy the chapter even if you hate it :P**

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When I open my eyes and sit up on my bed, it's already morning. My head aches a little due to the lack of sleep from last night. Last night's dream still haunts me and I want to do something to get rid of it from my mind. I go to the shower and take a warm shower, rinsing my hair and rubbing my naked body to wash away all the stress I have. Once I step out from the bathroom, Prim comes out from her room.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," she says.

I walk to her with a grin and tickle her waist. She starts to squeal with laughter. "Morning, little duck," I say and I let her go.

She rubs her sides and looks at me with teary eyes. "Last night was the best night I had," she confesses.

"Me too," I admit.

"I'm glad our family is back to how it originally was."

I suddenly remember the night before Father passed away. He opened the door from work and brought a turkey home and some sweets for his little girls. He kissed Mother lightly on the lips and gave us a fatherly hug. As Prim and I argued who would get more sweets, I heard both of parents laugh behind us. Then Mother stopped us by giving me three sweets while Prim got two. She made a pout on her face and looked as if she was going to cry. Before she could, Father scooped her in his arms and rocked her back and forth, promising for more sweets when he comes back tomorrow, something that didn't happen. We walked to the kitchen and had our last dinner with Father. That dinner was almost the same as last night's, but it had warmer family bond.

Prim shakes me and I snap out from my memory. She says she's going to prepare breakfast so she goes downstairs, leaving me standing in front of her room's door. I go to my room and wear my weekend clothes; a simple short-sleeved T-shirt and a pair of sweatpants. I let my hair loose for today so my hair waves down to my half lower back. I go down the stairs when I hear someone talking from the front door, then my sister calls me.

"Katniss, someone's looking for you," she tells me with a big smile on her face.

Who would be looking for me in the early morning? Surely not Gale, because he's supposed to be in the mines right now. I walk to the door and open it only to see Peeta standing on my house's porch. I stare at him with my mouth slightly open, studying his appearance and my heart beats faster than usual.

He's wearing a red fleece zip jacket over a black V-neck shirt and a pair of dark blue jeans. His hair is a little tousled by the wind but he still looks handsome with it. His sky-blue eyes are as beautiful the last time I saw him. He's holding some bread in his arms. I stop staring at him when he starts to talk.

"Hi, good morning."

"Good morning," I say, trying so hard to make my voice sound as usual. "What are you doing here? I mean, how do you know where my house is?"

He smiles. "It's not hard to look for your house since it has your family name registered on the mailbox."

I rub my neck, embarrassed for asking such a stupid question. "So what do you want?"

"I just want to give you these breads and some reports for the History project," he says, passing them to me. I take them in my arms, feeling the warmth of the breads.

"Thanks," I say and about to get back into the house.

"I want to talk about tomorrow's trip too."

I stop my track right in front of the entrance. I have to tell him that the trip is cancelled. After I put the reports on the table and the breads on the counter, I return to him. Crossing my arms, I tell him with a serious face, "Sorry, Peeta. But I can't bring you to the woods tomorrow."

He makes a surprised face. "W-why?" He asks. "Are you busy? It's okay we can go anytime you want."

I shake my head. "No, Peeta. In fact, I can't bring you there anytime."

Worry overwhelms his face when he asks, "What happened, Katniss? Did I do something wrong?" God, why is he making things more difficult to handle?

"It's not about what you did. It's just that I don't have anymore use of you."

His face is full of confusion and questions. I don't wait for him to say anymore words so I continue with a higher voice. "Don't you see? I'm only using you for the stupid project. And now you passed me the reports, I no longer need your help. Since I fulfilled my thanks to you, I don't want to do anything with you anymore."

Just when the words leave my lips, dark clouds surround the sky and it looks like a rain will occur anytime.

"Satisfied with your answer? Now go home," I say harshly and am about to close the door.

He stops me by placing his hand against the wooden door. "Why are you doing this so suddenly? This isn't you, Katniss," he says with an obvious hurt on his face.

"Don't talk as if you really know me!" I shout at him, shoving him backwards so hard that he almost falls down the stairs of my house's porch but he manages to regain his balance on the ground. "By the way, I don't care about your stupid dream to become an artist. You can do whatever you want," I continue. Rain starts to pour and heavy raindrops hit his body while he stands there with no words coming from his mouth. The sight makes me want to burst into tears. I hold them before I shout at him again, "I don't want to see you anymore! Stay away from me!" Then I slam the door.

I lean back against the door and let go the breath I held since I snapped at him. I look through the window next to the door and see him still standing in front of my house. I can see he's in pain because I can see tears falling down his on cheeks, or maybe they're just some raindrops. Not long after that, he finally runs away under the rain, not even bothered to put his hood on. I lean my back against the wall and slowly slide down to the floor, holding my face to hide my tears.

"Katniss?" I hear Prim's voice and raise my head. She looks at me with a sad expression while holding Buttercup in her arms. She lays him on the floor and walks to me, holding me in her arms right in front of our door, listening to the sound of rain outside our house. Finally, she releases me and drags me to the kitchen. Mother looks at me and approaches me in an instant.

"What happened?" She asks, holding my shoulders but I don't say anything. "It's okay. You can tell me later, okay?" I nod.

I sit on the chair and slowly eat my breakfast with Mother and Prim looking at me with a concerned look. I take a glimpse of the breads on the counter that Peeta gave us. I hold my tears and come into a conclusion, _This is the best decision_ _for__ both of Prim and Peeta._

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**Please, please, please don't grab an arrow to shoot me. Things will get better for our favourite couple and Delly and her friends will get their payback. Just give me some time to continue the story. By the way, Gale will appear in the next chapter. Reviews make me smile.**


	14. Gale's determination

**Oh. My. God. I almost cried out of happiness because of all the reviews I got, though I feel bad because I got them from Peeta & Katniss' argument and I'm sorry I made most of you almost cry. To Rebel Ken, thanks for the rating, I really appreciate it. And to my other readers, thanks for all the support and reviews, I really am grateful to have you guys as my readers.**

**To some of you who have grown interested with Seth, I'm adding him in this chapter.**

**This will be the longest chapter I've ever written, so hope you guys will enjoy it :)**

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After breakfast, I put my plate on the sink and wash my puffy face. I take another glimpse of Peeta's breads and suddenly I'm overwhelmed with anger and frustration, not to Peeta but to myself. I grab them and throw them into the trash bin. Prim immediately runs to the trash bin and pick them back up.

"Katniss, what are you doing?" She yells at me.

"I don't want to see them!" I yell back.

I am about to snatch them back from her but Mother grabs me by the shoulders. I try to shake her off me but she's too strong and besides, my emotions are against my wills.

"Katniss, stop! What's going on with you?" She demands.

"I'm broke my friendship with Peeta!" I confess unintentionally. Finally my tears start to drop again and I drop down to the floor. Mother kneels down with me and takes me into her arms and I do the same to her.

"Shh," she shushes. "I don't know what really happened. But I'm sure things will get better between you two."

My words are muffled against her shirt. "No… we won't," I sniff.

She rubs my back, creating a warm friction. "Tell you what? Why don't you just sit on the couch and watch TV for today? You need a little rest. Try to make up with him at school on Monday, how's that?" She suggests.

Listening to Mother's advice makes me feel a little comfortable. I nod in agreement and moves to the living room and plop myself on the couch. Prim joins me immediately with Buttercup. Mother stays in the kitchen to wash the dishes and reluctantly throws away the breads Peeta gave us since they're already dirty because I threw it earlier in the dustbin. I pull my knees to my chest and pick up the remote control. During this kind of weather, watching TV is the best way to spend your time but the shows are too boring. I end up watching some comedy show to lighten my mood and forget about Peeta. I only manage to make a smile but not laughing, eventually I feel better.

Then someone knocks the door. My sister gets up to open it.

"Um… how can I help you?" Prim asks politely.

I raise my eyes to look who it is. It's him; Seth, again.

"Is your sister here?" He asks softly to Prim with a warm smile.

"I'm right here," I say, standing up from the couch.

He looks up from Prim and greets me, "Hey, Kat. Can I talk to you?" Then he uses his thumb to point the porch, indicating to talk outside with privacy.

I walk towards the door and stop next to Prim who looks at us with a worried look. I ruffle her hair for the second time today. "Hey, I'll be fine. It's just a little chat," I reassure her, and then I close the door behind me. "So what do you want to say?" I ask Seth.

His hair is soaked with rain and honestly, he looks better when his hair isn't spiky as usual. He's wearing the same clothes that he wore the last time I saw him, it's just now they are soaked with raindrops. He rolls his eyes and scratches his head, looking a little annoyed with something. "First of all, I want to ask something, what did you say to Peet?" He asks with a sigh.

Peet? How does he know Peeta? This guy is such a stalker. "What do you care about our problem and how did you even know Peeta? Let me guess, you stalked him," I say a little loud because the rain is so noisy.

Seth looks a little pissed and he crosses his arms against his chest. "I. Am. Not. A. Stalker," he hisses between his teeth. "For your information, I've met him before I introduced myself to you," he confesses. "And you know that he's a very friendly guy that he sometimes hangs out with me whenever he has free times. Just now I happened to walk past his house when I saw him looked… devastated."

"And you assume it's my fault?" I ask, my tone fills with anger. Although I know the truth that I am the cause of it.

"Recently he hangs out with you so who else could it be?"

I know there's no way to avoid this so I confess, "I told him to stay away from me, and so what's your problem?"

He sighs again, "You don't really get it, don't you? Especially when it comes to something like this."

When it comes to something like this? What is he talking about? "I don't get what you're talking about. I think you should go now."

"You'll know what I'm talking about once you find out soon the real reason why he threw the bread to you five years ago," he simply responds.

Did Peeta tell him everything about our relationship? This infuriates me more until I have the urge to yell at him. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU EVEN CARE ABOUT US? THIS IS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!"

His red eyes are glowing in rage and he yells as well. "IT IS MY BUSINESS BECAUSE BOTH OF YOU ARE MY FRIENDS! AND I DON'T WANT TO SEE MY FRIENDS TO GETTING HURT BOTH PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY! YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW LONG HE HAS WAITED TO GET TO KNOW YOU, AND YOU SIMPLY PUSHED HIM AWAY JUST LIKE THAT!"

I am truly shocked by his words. I can see the honesty and sincerity in his eyes and I can't say anything. I just hope the rain covers our shouting so that both Prim and Mother couldn't hear us inside the house. He pants from his talking and takes a deep breath. I expect him to shout at me again but instead he speaks softly, "Please, Kat. Talk to him again. He doesn't deserve this." Before I could reply, he turns to leave. He stops at the bottom of the porch steps and speaks again, "It's very hard to have a friend like him, you know." Then he leaves into the hazy road.

I rub my temple and enter the house and slam the door, making Prim jump on the couch and I sit next to her, laying my elbow on the armchair and rest my chin on my palm. Prim studies my frowning face and she seems a little scared so I take a deep breath and release my stress. I smile at her and she looks relieved.

"Are you okay? What happened out there? Who's that guy anyway? I heard him shouted at you," she says.

"Yeah. It's nothing. His name is Seth Biers; he's just some guy I stumbled on a few days ago. He was just mad at me for this morning," I honestly answer her.

"Huh? How does he know about that? Is he some kind of stalker?"

I laugh at her words. "You know, that's what I said about him. He's a friend of Peeta and he saw him being upset in his house."

She nods slowly and we continue watching the TV. "I hope you and Peeta will settle this matter soon," she mumbles.

I wrap my arm around her shoulder and pull her close to me, rubbing her arm to reassure things will be fine, though I doubt it will. My eyes are tired from all the fallen tears I shed this morning and not long after that I fall asleep on the couch with Prim. When I wake up, the rain slightly slows down. I notice Prim's body and mine are wrapped in a blanket. I look to the single couch next to us and see Mother reading a book. She looks up and closes the book.

"Feeling better?" She asks.

"Much, much better," I reply. She smiles and returns to reading.

I feel like going to hunt since the rain is almost over so I gently move Prim's head from my shoulder and lay her head on the pillow couch. I run upstairs and change my clothes to my hunting clothes; my father's hunting jacket and a pair of cargo pants. Once I go downstairs, I tell Mother I'll come back home as soon as possible. I leave the house and make my way to the fence that separates the forest and our residence. From the nearby fallen tree trunk, I grab my quiver and bow and go deeper.

The smell of the grass and rain in the forest, the sound of the birds chirping make me feel more relaxed than any place in the whole Panem. In other words, this place is my sanctuary. The muddy ground is soft under my boots and it's pretty hard for me to walk and it makes a little noisy sound. Then I see a rabbit hopping around the bushes in front me. Without any hesitation, I grab an arrow, position it on my bow, stretch the cord, take my aim and let the arrow go. It hit the rabbit right in the eye. Most people would feel disgusted but I'm used to it. I put the dead animal into my sack.

All of a sudden, I hear the sound of rustling grass and footsteps. I immediately go to the nearest tree and climb it as fast as I can. The sound gets louder and when I'm sure the person who makes the sound is close enough to the tree, I prepare myself to jump down and lock him on the neck. But he tops right before he reaches the tree and looks up.

"I can see you up there, Catnip," says Gale.

I sigh in relief and relax my body. I slowly climb down the tree and approach him. He's wearing a black vest over a thin long-sleeved green shirt and a pair of cargo pants like mine. His hair is wet from the dripping raindrops from the leaves above our heads. "How did you know I was up there?" I ask.

He chuckles and points to the footprints I left towards the tree. _Damn it! How come I forgot about that? _I think.

"You're not working in the mines today?"

"My shift is over early today so I have the time to come here," he answers. I nod lightly.

"What's wrong with you? You're not acting normally," he points out.

"How can you tell that?" I ask him.

He laughs silently and says, "Catnip, I've known you for 4 years, that's long enough for me to understand you."

Well, that's true. We've known each other for 4 years but I haven't even fully understood my own best friend. I don't know why, maybe because I want to avoid understanding boys that may lead me to something more.

"Nothing happened," I tell him.

"Don't lie to me. I know something happened."

I stay silent, hoping he'd give up. But I'm making a big mistake.

"Is it Mellark?" He guesses.

I am too shocked to answer him. That leaves me staring at him with no words.

"What the hell did he do to you? Tell me!" He demands angrily, his eyes are wide open.

"I'm telling you; nothing happened," I insist.

"Well, I'm not going to give up finding out what he did to you," he says with a determined voice. "Mark my words, Catnip."

After that he leaves to the fence, leaving me dumbfounded with his promise. I release a heavy breath of aggravation. This is the worst day I've ever lived in; my sister's safety is under the harm of my archenemy, I have to break my friendship with Peeta and my own best friend doesn't believe me and is determined to find out the source of it.

I lose my mood to hunt and I decide to just go home with a rabbit meat and some berries that I found from the grown plants. Just when I'm about to crawl down the hole of the fence, I hear a rustling sound among the nearby bushes and I see someone come out from them and runs away, but I can't see who it is because he runs pretty quickly. I have the nasty feeling that he heard my conversation with Gale. I just hope he doesn't cause any trouble. But who am I kidding? My life has been full of trouble ever since I saved Madge's sister and became Delly's enemy.

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**I know I haven't updated for quite a long time. I wrote this chapter right after I updated chapter 13 but there's just too much to think for this chapter, I hope you guys can understand. So anyway what do you think about this chapter? Reviews make me smile.**


	15. Realization

**Sorry for the delay guys, I'm so busy for a celebration for next week and I'm working on some comics right now. So everyone has started to wonder who the mystery person is and rest assured, he/she will appear later in the next chapter. Enjoy reading :)**

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Once I reach home, Mother has already left for work, Prim is practicing her play in her room; I can hear her cheesy dialogues in the living room. I put my game on the kitchen counter and wash my hands. It's almost 3 and to spend the time till dinner, I decide to go to the Hob and hang out. I go upstairs and knock on Prim's door. A few seconds later, she opens it.

"Hey. I'm going to the Hob for a few minutes. Can you take care of the house?" I say.

"Yeah, sure. Don't get too long, all right?" She asks.

"Of course I'll not stay too long." I lay my hand on her cheek and kissed her forehead.

I leave the house with the rabbit meat and once I get there, I trade it with Sae.

"You don't look that good, dear. Anything happened?" She asks, grabbing for some goods in exchange for me. _God, how come everyone notices me for not being the usual Katniss?_

I simply shrug. "Nothing happened. I think my mood isn't that good because of the weather. Thanks to it, I didn't catch enough prey."

"I know that. But I have the feeling that's not the only thing," she continues.

"I said I'm fine," I tell her harshly.

"Okay, okay. Don't get cranky on me," she murmurs, raising her hands up in defense.

I sigh. "Sorry about that," I mumble.

"It's fine, dear. Once in a while we do have swings in our mood."

I nod and rest my left forearm on the wooden desk in front of me and I lay my prop my chin with my right palm. I look around the Hob as Sae works on her other customers. That's when I notice a familiar girl sitting and talking among the people on the eating table. It's Madge. _What is she doing here? _I walk towards her and tap her on the shoulder. She turns around and smiles. She looks better than the last time I saw her; her body was covered with bruises from the beating she got from Kelly and Diana. Now she wears some fresh, clean clothes and the bruises are gone.

"What are you doing here?" I whisper, though I have more questions gathering in my head such as _how are your wounds doing? How did you get here? Did your parents know what happened the other day?_

"I love to come here, Katniss. Here, I can make friends with the people from the Seam," she explains, raising her hand and points to the people she's sitting with who are laughing and smiling nonstop. "This way, I can learn that they are very wonderful people, and not as awful as most people in the Town said."

Although I'm quite touched and grateful for her kind and sincere intention, that doesn't stop me from worrying about her situation. "How are you doing?" I ask her.

"I'm doing fine. Don't worry, Katniss," she replies, holding my arm in a kind gesture.

"Do your parents know about this? Because I don't think they'd allow you to come here."

"Oh, they do know about it. They're perfectly fine with me spending time at the Seam."

I nod. Then she continues, "So, what happened when I wasn't at school? And who's that Seth guy? He seems very protective of you."

I hesitate to tell her about school so I sit down on an empty chair and tell her about Seth first. "He's just some guy I met a few days ago. I'm telling you, Madge, he's like a stalker. He appears in front of me in random places all of a sudden, then advices me on things, and then he leaves."

"Wow, sounds like he's some kind of guardian angel," she jokes.

I roll my eyes. "More like a stalker angel," I groan.

We laugh until she demands for an answer about school again. I know changing the topic won't change her mind so I tell her about Peeta drawing my portrait for Art class, then we hung out during free period and met Haymitch for an interview for the History project, but I cut the part when Delly came to me.

Madge giggles when I tell her that Haymitch called Peeta and me 'lovebirds'. "You know, Katniss. I think Peeta likes you. I mean, REALLY likes you," she says.

I stare at her for her words. There's no way Peeta would like me. After what I did to him, it's impossible. "No, that can't be," I deny.

"No, seriously. The way he looks at you… it seems more than a look for a friend."

I look at my feet and start to travel in my memories. I remember what Seth said _'__You'll know what I'm talking about once you find out soon the real reason why he threw the bread to you five years ago'. _Then I try to remember how Peeta looked at me when we were 11 and think why he took the risk to help me.

_It was cold under the rain of that night. I was crouching on the ground, under the tree that was located next to the Mellark's Bakery. I was looking for food to feed my family, I tried to sell Prim's clothes when she was a toddler but I had no luck. And here I was, waiting for death to come to me due to starvation. That's what I thought until I saw a boy with a blonde hair, blue eyes looking at me. His blue eyes were filled with something; hope, concern and… love? He held some burnt bread in his arms and his mother told him to throw them away. When the Witch entered back into the house, he looked back and without any hesitation, he threw the breads to me. I looked up to him but he already went back inside. I took them and felt the warmth in my arms as I ran back to my house._

"Katniss?"

I'm back in the present when Madge shakes my shoulder. When I remember how cold it was when I was under the rain, I suddenly think that maybe that's how he felt when he ran under the rain to his house this morning. I realize now that Peeta has his intentions towards me ever since we were young but I don't know what it is. I decide to learn about it, but I can't just ask him straightforward.

"Madge, I need to ask for some help. Would you do the favour?" I ask her.

She smiles cheerfully. "What is it? Finally I can repay for your kindness for helping both of me and my sister."

I smile back at her. "I want you to ask Peeta about what happened 5 years ago. It's about me and him."

Madge's eyes popped open. "It's not what you think!" I say before she speaks up about something that came in her mind.

"Should I start asking him now?" She asks, standing up.

"No, you should ask him tomorrow. I'm sure he's a little busy right now."

She nods and when she looks at her watch, she decides to go home. She promises to start the plan tomorrow and I believe her. This might be the other way for me to repay my debt for his help. I just hope that nobody will get in the way this time.

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**Well that took 15 chapters for Katniss to realize something. So what do you guys think will happen? Will Madge succeed to ask Peeta? Who is the mysterious person? Reviews make me smile and update faster.**


	16. Madge's conversation with Peeta

**Thank you for the reviews, guys. To bedazzlequeen, here is your wish; Madge's conversation with Peeta. I'm still exhausted for today's chores and tried my best to write this chapter so hope you guys like it.**

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After Madge left the Hob, Haymitch bursts in through the door, holding a bottle of liquor in his hand. He's obviously drunk because he can barely stand properly and his face is bright red like a tomato.

"Hey, all- Hic!" He cries. "Is there any more drink in the house? Mine's almost finished- Hic!" He says between hiccups, holding up the bottle in the air. He walks forward and accidentally stumbles a mountain of boxes which are filled with food and other goods.

"Haymitch! How many times have I told you not to make a lot of mess around here?" Greasy Sae scolds him, slamming her palm against the counter.

He lazily leans against the counter and takes another gulp. "Oh, come on- Hic! What's gonna happen anyway? It's not like there're any kids around here that'll get hurt- oh wait… I see one now," he murmurs when he sees me and he walks towards me.

I wrinkle my nose due to the strong, unpleasant smell of his breath when he sits in front of me. I cover my nose with my hand, and when he sees that, he burps right in front of my face.

Like anyone's reaction, I quickly push my seat farther from him, making a creaking sound when the chair legs scratch against the floor."Good God! What the hell was that for, you old bastard!?" I shout at him, covering my nose now with both of my hands.

He simply bursts out a loud laugh followed by a number of hiccups. "Sorry, kid. Just wanted to see your reaction- Hic!" I roll my eyes. "So where's your boyfriend? What's his name… uh…? Peter? Petah?"

"It's Peeta. And he's not my boyfriend," I point out.

"Oh, really- Hic! Then how come I saw him looking at you as if you're his girlfriend or something?"

"I think you had too much alcohol in your head at that time." When is the time when his head isn't full of alcohol anyway?

"No, I wasn't," he denies.

"Yes, you were."

"No."

"Yes."

"No!"

"Yes!"

We sound like an elementary school kids and we stop when Sae slams two bottles of alcohol and a bottle of orange juice on our table. "You two better start drinking and stop quarreling like a bunch of little kids before I shove these bottles deep into your throats!"

She stands still next to us with her arms folded, waiting for us to cool down. Haymitch starts to pop open the bottle cap and it falls down on the floor and starts to drink while I grumpily twists the orange juice's bottle cap and slowly takes a sip. Sure, with the help from a cool, refreshing drink, I feel better as my anger fades away. Satisfied, Sae leaves.

I look at the clock and notice it's already 5. I stand up, grabbing my bottle and walks past the drunken old man.

"Careful for what's gonna happen in the future, kid- Hic!" He mumbles behind me. "I dunno know what happened to you and Petah but I've a feelin' you two're not in a good situation."

It's not going to hurt anyone to listen to some advice from an old drunk so I willingly take it. "Thanks. Will do," I say without turning back, and then walk past Sae. "Thanks for the drink, Sae." Once I leave the Hob I make my straight home where I'm greeted by Prim's dialogues.

"Hey, I'm back," I greet her.

"Hey, welcome back. Can you listen to my dialogues for a while? Tell me if I sound bad," she says.

Although my eyes are dying to have a rest, I can't just simply reject my sister's plea. "Yeah, sure. But can you make it quick?"

Actually she doesn't need to practice so much because she's already doing well. While listening to her dialogue and reading her script, my mind wanders to Madge's plan for tomorrow; ask Peeta about the time when he saved my family's life and what was his intention for doing that. Not long after that, Prim finishes her practice for today.

"So how did I sound like?" She asks, nervous for my reaction.

"You sound terrific. You'd do well in that play, trust me," I honestly tell her, caressing her soft cheek.

She smiles a wide smile, showing her bright teeth. "You really think so?"

"Cross my heart," I say, crossing my chest where my heart lies.

She wraps her arms around my waist and gives me a warm hug. "Thanks, Katniss."

"You're welcome, Little Duck. I'm going to sleep; you don't have to call me for dinner later."

"Are you sure?"

I nod. Honestly I don't have that much appetite today. All I need is a long, good rest. I go upstairs and I don't bother to take a shower; I simply change my clothes and go to bed. I lay on my bed with my front on the soft mattress and the blanket is draped on my back. For some reason, I wish that Monday won't come so that I don't have to face Peeta or Delly. Eventually, my eyes slowly start to fall down like a curtain on a performance stage and fall into darkness.

**The next day: Madge's POV (I actually dislike changing POVs)**

Right now, I'm standing in front of the Mellark Bakery. I intentionally came here around afternoon because only during this time that there are not so many customers around the bakery. Honestly, my heart beats in a quick pace because this is the first time I'm going to Peeta Mellark, the most adorable boy in the world's house, and besides I'm doing this for Katniss' sake so I'm pretty nervous about it.

I take a deep breath and twist the door knob. I immediately see Peeta standing at the cashier table. He looks horrible and sick; his hair is messy as if he just woke up from sleep, and his face is pale like the white apron he's wearing right now. He has dark shades under his half opened eyes, showing that he didn't have enough sleep. He doesn't notice me yet so I clear my throat.

"Oh, hi, Madge," he says, his voice is barely steady. He then starts to cough.

"Hi. Um… are you okay?" I ask, approaching him.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He holds out his hand to stop me from getting to close to him, and it kind of hurts me while his other hand covers his mouth. "So what kind I do for you today?"

I pretend to look at the bread in each closet. "Well, can we talk for a while? It's about Katniss."

His eyes immediately open wide then go back to before. "Sure." He takes off his apron and walks to the door that leads to the kitchen. "Patrick, can you take over the reception for a while?" He calls his brother, and then walks towards me. "Shall we talk at the porch?"

I nod and together we walk to the exit. I sit on the railing, dangling my legs like a small child and he stands next to a wooden pillar and leans his back against it. We are silent for a while since I don't know how to start a conversation, especially to ask about their 'story'.

"How is Katniss doing?" He asks. "Is she okay?"

"Yeah, she's fine," I tell him. "So Peeta, I'm curious about you two. How did you guys know each other?"

He looks surprised at first then her rubs the back of his neck. "You might find it cheesy," he says, blushing. My God, he looks so cute when he blushes.

"It's okay. I like cheesy stories anyway," I say. It's true I like cheesy stories but not as cheesy as Romeo and Juliet which is full of cheesy poems.

He forces a smile at first then looks up to the sky as if he could find the answer by looking at it. "I met her when I was just 5 during the first day in kindergarten. We had a music class and she volunteered to go first. Unlike today, she had her hair in two braids which made her look extremely cute. When she started to sing, the world around me disappeared and all I focused on was her. That's when I realized that I was a goner." He stops and closes his eyes as if he is picturing the image of Katniss in his head. Then he reopens them. "Since then I started to watch her everyday because I had no guts to go and talk to her. And now eleven years have passes I finally get to know her."

I clap my hands in the end of his story and he smiles a happy smile. "Wow. That is so sweet, Peeta. I mean you liked her since you were 5? That's so romantic. Well, except for the part where you continuously watched her, that is like, I don't know… stalkerish?"

He releases and silent laugh followed by some coughs. "Trust me, Madge, if you were a guy, you'd fall for her too."

"Well, I'm glad I'm not because I don't want to compete with a romantic guy like you. Does she know you like her?"

"No, she's not interested in relationships, anyway."

"Is there anyway you tried to show her you like her?"

He's silent for a while and I think I pushed him too much, but the thought is wrong when he starts to speak again. "Well, actually there is one time when I tried to pour out my feelings for her 5 years ago."

_Jackpot! _"Do you mind if you share the story?"

"You'll be the second person to know this story," he chuckles.

"Really? Who's the first one?"

"A friend named Seth Biers."

"What? You know him, too?"

"Why? Do you know him?"

"Not really, but yeah," I admit. "But let's get back on the track."

"Okay. Let's see. It was raining quite heavily back then. As usual my family's bakery was full of customers. I was as busy as ever and when I was throwing the rubbish at the back of the bakery, I saw her. She was crouching on a tree and huddled for warmth. From the way she looked, she looked as if she was in the brink of death; her body was so thin and looked so pale. I knew I needed to save her but with my mum around the house; I couldn't just go to her. So I took two loaves of bread, purposely burnt them. My mum saw what I did and she gave me some beatings."

"Whoa! Wait, she hit you just for that?" I cut him off.

"Yeah. Forget about that. So after she hit me, she told me to throw the breads to the pigs we bred. Instead, I filled all my feelings into the breads and threw them to Katniss. Before neither of us could say anything, I fled back to the bakery because I was afraid that my mum would see what I did. The next day at school, I saw her looking at me and I knew she said 'thanks' to me because I could see it in her eyes."

I am awestrucked by his story. This should be the best romance story I've ever heard. "Peeta… that is beautiful. You should tell this to Katniss. She should know about your feelings towards her."

His smile turns into a little frown as if I said something wrong. "I don't think that's a good idea. She doesn't want to see me anymore."

"What? Why would she do such a thing?" I ask as I slide off the railing.

"I don't know. Maybe she's annoyed with me or something," he shrugs. "Maybe she hates me."

_This must be because Delly, _I think. I can't let that bitch stop Peeta and Katniss from seeing each other. I look around the bakery's porch to make sure the coast is clear. "Peeta, I need to tell you something."

"What is it?"

"Katniss doesn't hate you or annoyed with you. She's actually the reason I'm here," I tell him with a determined voice.

"How do you know that, Madge? And what do you mean by that?"

"She actually wanted to know the reason why you helped her 5 years ago. But she couldn't see you herself so she asked me to talk to you."

"Why couldn't she see me? Did someone force her to do this?"

"Yes. It's Delly."

His eyes start to flicker anger and frustration. He slams his palms on the railing and grips it hard. "Why that selfish bitch! She's so going to get for what she did," he hisses between his greeted teeth with a low, threatening voice. Honestly, I feel a little scared looking at him like this. But the fear ebbs away when he stands straight and looks at me with a gaze full of appreciation. "Thank you for telling me this, Madge. I really appreciate it." He leans forward and gives me a friendly kiss on the cheek.

I want to scream _Peeta Mellark freaking kissed me! _But instead I flash him a big smile. "Your welcome, Peeta. Just try to talk to her again, okay?"

He nods weakly and coughs again.

"I think I should go home now."

"Okay," he says his voice a little groggy.

"I'll see you tomorrow." I wave back at him.

I take the glimpse of him waving back at me as I make my way to the Town with a big smile on my face.

**The next day: (Katniss' POV)**

Finally, the day I dreaded to come has arrived. I'm hoping that Madge has done what I asked her. I change from my pajama to a green checkered shirt and a pair of black jeans. I go downstairs and slowly eat my breakfast. I grab my bag and say goodbye to Mother and Prim (she's still eating her breakfast), and I leave to school.

As I stand in front of the school door, I take a deep breath and open it. I am greeted with a bunch of students, minding their on business. I check among them to look for Madge, but I can't find her. I expect that she's at her locker so I make my way to her locker. I am bumped a few times by the walking students' shoulders and finally I reach my destination. Instead of looking at Madge, I see Delly and her friends leaning back against her Madge's locker.

They are looking on Diana's phone and giggled like crazy. When they see me, they approach me.

"Well, well, well. Look what we have here; it's the Seam slut," Diana says with an annoying tone.

"What do you guys want?" I say with an angry look.

"We wanna show you something that proves that you're a slut," Kelly says.

"You should be ashamed of yourself, Seam slut," Delly continues.

"What are you guys talking about?" I ask, totally confused.

Delly snaps her finger and Diana passes her phone to her. She flips it open to me and reveals a picture of me and Gale in the woods.

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**I wrote this in a rush because I'm going to be away for maybe a week or so because I have a big celebration in two days. So, the reason I dislike changing POVs is because I want to keep the story in Katniss' POV like the original series but I find it difficult to explain Madge's conversation with Peeta, so I decided to write Madge's POV. And now you know who the mysterious person is, it's Diana though most of you thought it was Peeta. I'll update the story right after the celebration is over so I'll see you guys soon. Reviews make me smile.**


	17. Confession

**Hey, guys. I'm back again. So I find that my previous chapter was quite rushed, so to make sure you guys can still understand the flow of the story, I'll give some summarize. **

_**Delly threatened Katniss to stay away from Peeta and she did. Gale met Katniss in the woods only to find that Katniss wasn't acting like herself so he wanted to find the reason. When Gale left, she found out that somebody was spying on her. Katniss asked Madge to meet Peeta to find the reason why Peeta threw the bread 5 years ago. Katniss went to school and was confronted by Delly and her gang, again.**_

**I hope you got the idea now. Enough of that, now back to the story. Enjoy.**

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I can't believe it. How come I was so stupid? I should've known that one of Delly's friends would spy on me and I am right; Diana was the person who watched me and Gale talking in the woods. More importantly, she took a picture of us there where hunting is illegal. I attempt to grab the phone before Delly pulls the phone away and closes it and returns it to Diana.

"Whoa, hold your fire, Seam slut. You want to tell us what you were doing with that 'friend' of yours?" Delly says, making a quotation mark with her fingers, indicating that Gale is more than a friend to me.

"It's none of your business! Now give me that phone!" I say, charging towards Diana, only to be pushed away by Kelly. As usual, the other students don't have any intention to help; they merely walk past us as if nothing is happening.

Delly giggles as my back hit the cold metallic door of the locker behind me. "It is my business since you hung out with Peeta while you have a boyfriend behind his back. You're nothing like a dirty whore who hunts for all boys in this district!"

"He's not my boyfriend and I have no intention to have one!" I shout back.

"Oh yeah? Then tell us what were you doing there?" Kelly interrupts.

I straighten myself up. My mouth opens but no sound comes out since I can't come up with anything. They take this opportunity to laugh their heads off.

"See? Told you she's just a poor slut who has no money to take care of her family so she sells her body to earn some." I hear Diana laughs. I feel myself filled with raging anger.

After finishing her laugh, Delly's eyes are filled with anger and jealousy as she turns to me. "I don't get it. How come Peeta wanted to make friends with you when you're just some disgusting prostitute who pretends to be innocent in front of him, only to break his heart?"

My eyes start to fill with tears. She's right. Peeta sincerely wanted to be friends with me and I repaid him with a heart break by throwing all those horrible things I said to him that day. Who am I to judge myself? I'm nothing but a selfish Seam girl. The tears are about to fall when someone closes my eyes with his palm behind me.

"Tears don't suit you, Katniss," says a familiar, soft voice. I hear Delly and her friends catch their breaths.

I find myself gasp when I recognize who owns the voice.

Peeta.

"Promise me you won't cry then I'll put my hand away," he whispers to my ear.

I sniff and try to force the tears to disappear then I nod slightly. He removes his hand and I flutter my eyes open. The first thing I see is the shocked faces of Delly, Kelly and Diana.

"P-Peeta… we… we were just…" Delly stammers.

But he cuts her off. "Don't try to explain anything to me, Delly. I heard everything with my own ears." He walks in front of me, blocking me from them. His strong, muscular back is so close to me that I can feel the warmth behind his jacket.

"But she lied to you! Here, look at this picture. She was with some guy in the woods. Who knows what they were doing there," she continues, shoving Diana's phone to him and he takes it to look at the picture.

I'm about to cut in when Peeta closes the phone. He holds it in his hand with a strong grip. "What does this picture prove? It doesn't prove anything to me," he speaks with a surprisingly calm voice. "I see that Katniss was just talking to her friend, and nothing more."

"She happily talked with him after she shouted at you! How come you feel fine with that?" Diana interrupts.

Peeta turns to her with a confused look. "How did you know that?" He asks, then his eyes widens when he finds the answer. Diana clasps her mouth after she finishes her sentence. "Were you spying on us?" He said with a tone filled with disbelief and anger. The girls in front of him only stay shut. "Why were spying on us? Tell me!"

"I… I just wanted to make sure that slut doesn't humiliate you or let her do anything to you," Delly tells him, obviously scared with the way how her voice shivers.

I know that he's starting to get angrier when I feel the tense on his back. "I told you not to call her that, Delly," he speaks with a low, angry voice. "If this is how you're trying to get close to me, I'll tell you the result: you extremely failed. Katniss is not how you think she is. She takes care of her family since she was young with hard efforts and she is the most wonderful person I know. To tell you the truth, I've never seen anyone so despicable like you." He flips Diana's phone open and deletes the picture, and shoves it into her hand. "And I don't want to see anything like that again, you hear me?"

He turns to me with a softer look. "Let's get out of here, Katniss," he says and he takes my hand in his warm right hand while his left holds his bag on his shoulder. He pulls us out towards the entrance door and we make our way to the football field and we hide under the bleachers.

We lay on the soft grass to catch our breath. We are silent until Peeta decides to break the awkward silence.

"Sorry," he says, "for what Delly did."

I turn to him. Again, he's apologizing for something that he didn't do. I know that I should apologize too so I say, "I'm sorry, too. I shouldn't have said those horrible things to you that day."

He puts his hand on his head. "I should've known that this was Delly's doing. She's very persistent when she wants something."

_You don't say? _I think.

"It wasn't like you," he continues. "To suddenly burst out at me like that."

I feel myself embarrassed in the memory of me yelling at him. I pull my knees to my chest and hide my face.

"But I don't blame you, of course," he laughs softly.

I raise my head a little, enough to look at him smiling brightly. I'm surprised how he can control his emotions very well. One moment he's angry and then he changes back to the happy-go-lucky guy.

"I should've told you the truth. But I guess my ego got the best of me," I mumble.

He turns to me. "It's okay. It's a part of you that I like," he confesses.

I raise my head fully. A part of me that he likes? What does that mean?

He raises his hand to cup my cheek and pull my face towards his. "Katniss, I like every part of you. I like your gray eyes, your smile, your braided brown hair, everything," he resumes then he takes a deep breath. "I like you, Katniss. Ever since we were five," he says and there's no doubt in his voice with the way he looks at me with a gaze full of determination and love, just like how he looked at me when he threw the breads but this time, it's more intense.

Various emotions rush into me; joy, excitement and confusion. Peeta liked me ever since we were kids. That explains why he saved my life back then and the way he looked at me, and why he wanted to be friends with me. I think back to the feeling I felt when I had the dream when Delly and danced with him and kissed him. Jealousy, that was it. I was jealous that Peeta kissed her, and not me. There's only one reason that can possibly explain why I felt this way towards him. So I tell him.

"I like you too, Peeta."

He flashes a brighter smile and I find myself smiling too. He cups my face with both of his hands and he leans forward. I tilt my head upwards until my lips meet his.

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**FINALLY! After 17 chapters, they finally confessed! Well, not actually with the term 'love' but it's better than nothing. Man, am I tired to plan all of this? I believe my brain is about to melt. Trust me, Madge's conversation with Peeta will not be in vain. So, what do you guys think? I hope you guys liked that. Reviews make me smile.**


	18. Couple or not?

**Sorry for the delay, guys. I actually wanted to update the story yesterday but school has started and you know what that means: less time for fun and more time for boredom. And my bird pet just died so I'm a little upset now. Anyway, I hope you guys like this chapter.**

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The moment Peeta's lips touched mine; I certainly feel an electricity flow into my body. Usually, electricity makes you feel want to jump back, instead this electricity makes me feel good. Makes me feel want more. His lips move perfectly against mine, making a pecking sound. One of his hands leaves my cheeks to be placed on my waist so that he can pull me closer to him.

My arms make their way around his neck. My hand grabs the back of his head, feeling the soft texture of his blonde hair while the other keeps his neck locked. Before I met Peeta, whenever I heard the girls from my school talking about kissing with boys, it disgusted me. And now I take back what I thought about kissing. It feels wonderful. Like I'm floating in the air.

We pull apart due to the lack of air. The moment his lips leave mine, I feel a sudden abandonment. I want to pull him back for another kiss and he grants it but this is simply just a peck on the lips. Still, it manages to cause my heart to flutter. He looks right into my eyes with his sparkled ones. His lips are forming a bright smile as he puts his palms on my cheeks and lays forehead against mine.

"Thank you, Katniss," he pants, trying to catch a breath after our kiss.

"For what?" I say, confused.

"For being my friend, for trying to protect me, and most of all," he says. "For liking me."

Now it's my time to smile. I put a hand over his on my cheek and I tell him, "It's impossible not to like you, Peeta. Is it my turn now?"

He raises his eyebrow and I kiss it. "Your turn for what?" He asks, trying to keep his posture.

"To say thank you back." I take a deep breath and let the words out from my lips. "Thank you for the breads, thank you for taking me as your friend, thank you for saving me from Delly , and thank you for liking me, too."

When I stop my words, I believe I'm seeing his eyes start to fill with tears and I immediately kiss his eyelids to stop them from falling. I'm afraid that my words were wrong and they might hurt his feelings. He wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me towards him, positioning me on his lap so my legs are on either side of his hips. He buries his face into the nape of my neck and I can feel his warm breath tickling my skin.

"P-Peeta?" I say softly, trying not to surprise him.

"That," he mumbles into my neck then pulls back to look at my face. "Is one of the most beautiful things I've ever heard." He takes my hands into his bigger ones and kisses them. "And your very welcome, Katniss."

I've always thought liking someone is impossible for me, but somehow Peeta managed to break my barrier and makes me like him. We stay like that tangled around each other under the bleachers like any typical couple who are making out. Couple? Are we a couple now?

I look at him with a worried look. "So what are we now?" I hesitantly ask him.

He looks confused. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, we like each other. Does that mean we're a couple now?"

"What do you want us to be? I'm fine with whatever you want," he simply says. I know I don't have to doubt him because I can see the honesty in his eyes.

I don't know where I got the courage to say this but it simply slip out from my mouth like an arrow released from a quiver. "I don't know. I want us to be something but I'm not sure if I'm ready yet."

He gives my hands a comforting squeeze. "It's okay, Katniss. I've waited for this moment for 11 years and I believe I can wait a little longer," he says with a calm face.

I can't believe this handsome, kind boy has fallen for me ever since we were 5. It's like one of the fairy tales I used to read for Prim when she was little. He's the prince and I'm the princess, well maybe more like I'm the huntress who falls in love with Peeta, the wolf from the story 'Red Riding Hood'.

I nod and push myself from him, but keeping one of his hands entwines with mine. I grab my backpack from the ground and pull him upwards. We have to crouch a little so that our heads won't hit the seats above us. We walk out of the bleachers until we are exposed under the sunlight. We look at each other for a while and then to our hands.

"I think we should get to class now," I say reluctantly.

"But I want to spend more time with you," he says, sounds a little whiny. "And today we don't have any class together."

I touch his cheek. "We'll hang out together after school. Is that okay to you?" I say reassuringly.

"As long as I can be with you," he simply answers.

Oh my God. Just now we said that we like each other and made out under the bleachers, and now he talks to me like a boyfriend speaking with his girlfriend. Not that I don't like it, though. It's just that this boy never fails to surprise me with his words.

I laugh softly. "Okay, lover boy. Don't get your heels over your head too much. We're not a couple yet so don't get too comfortable with me in the public."

"I always feel comfortable with you, Katniss. Whether as a couple or not," he smirks.

"Okay. That's enough," I say jokingly and playfully hitting his shoulder. We walk towards the school building hand in hand. Honestly I don't want to ever let go of his hand, but I don't dare to take the risk to expose ourselves in public. I know that he knew about this because I can feel his grip loosen as we get closer to the door.

He opens the door and I'm glad that the hall is empty because class has started. He doesn't mind to walk me to my first class which is Economics because his class is just next to my class room. He gazes at me and gives me a light kiss on the cheek and whispers to my ear.

"I'll see you during break time."

"Okay," I reply softly. Then he leaves to his classroom and smiles at me before entering it.

I hold on to the doorknob of my classroom and twist it open. The teacher, Mr. Darius asks me why I was late. I simply tell him that I overslept though I know my fellow classmates know the real reason. Mr. Darius tells me not to oversleep again and I take an empty seat. As he continues to mumble about today's topic, I look at the clock on the wall, unable to wait till break time when I can see Peeta again.

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**So there you go, chapter 18. What do you think about Katniss and Peeta's character? Did I change them too much? I try to keep Katniss' prideful character so I hope I did fine. Anyway I hope you guys like that. And for the next chapter, I'll try to update a little faster. Reviews make me smile.**


	19. Communication

**Hey, guys what's up? Once again sorry for the long delay. I was having a fever so I hope you'll understand. And oh my God! 100 reviews! Thank you so much for all the supports and compliments, they meant so much to me. So here's the chapter you've always wanted. Enjoy :)**

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I don't realize how many classes I've entered to take till break time, until the deafening ringing sound of the bell which signs that the fourth class has ended. So that means... break time! I quickly put my belongings like my books and pencil case into my bag and scurry out of the classroom to my locker. A form is leaning back against it. It's Peeta. Smiling, I walk towards him. He greets me with his usual sweet smile that I love.

"Hey. How did class go?" He asks while brushing a strand of my hair from my face and tucks it behind my ear, a gesture of a typical couple, though we are not a couple. Yet.

I honestly tell him with a sigh. "Without you to talk with me, extra boring than usual."

He chuckles a soft laugh. "Then that makes the two of us."

I laugh back when I notice that my back is against the cold surface of my locker while he leans over me with his arm supporting him from touching his body against mine. Another gesture of a typical couple.  
Before people start to notice the change between us, I gently push back his chest. He lays his own hand to the spot where I just touched him and makes a hurt face as if my touch burned his skin. Although I should feel bad about that, I laugh instead. I take his hand and rub the top of his hand with my thumb.

"Let's go have lunch, okay?" I say, trying to sound apologetic.

I guess it works because he replies, "Okay," with a tone that sounds that I'm forgiven.

We walk to the canteen together, hand-in-hand. Of course, people stare at us as if we are some kind alien. It makes me feel uncomfortable, so I whisper to Peeta.

"Is it okay holding hands like this?"

"Does it feel okay to you?"He asks back.

"Well people are staring at us and I don't like it," I say.

"So you want to let go?"

"I don't know."

"How about this? You let go now, but after school you'll hold me as long as you want."

"That doesn't sound so bad," I whisper.

Very gently, he loosens his hold on mine and our arms fall onto our sides at the same time. I see someone waving at us, and it's Madge.

"Hey, guys! Over here!" She chirps from her seat.

I take a seat next to her and Peeta sits beside me.

"So, how's my favorite couple doing?" She says, winking.

I find myself blushing. How did she know about that?

"We're doing fine," Peeta replies happily.

I kick his shin lightly under the table and glare at him. He simply chuckles. "Madge, how did you know about this? And we're not a couple!" I say.

"Yet," Peeta adds, and I roll my eyes at him.

"A little birdie told me about it," she jokes but when she notices my glare, she blurts out, "Okay, I found out from Peeta!"

I turn my attention back to Peeta. He shrugs and gives me an innocent look.

"Tell me the whole story," I hiss. And so they do.

In short, when I asked Madge to ask him about 5 years ago's event, it turns out to reveal Peeta's long-time crush on me. I am quite disappointed that I'm not the first person to know his true feelings about me. Peeta seems to notice my expression because he takes my hand into his and this time he rubs his thumb on the top of my hand. My disappointment finally ebbs away and I'm filled with a content feeling and I sigh.

"Sorry I didn't tell you earlier," he murmurs.

I shake my head. "It's okay. At least I know now." He flashes a relieved smile.

"Awww... you two are so sweet!" Madge squeals. "I should start a fan club for you two. I'll call you: Peeniss!"

"Please no!" Peeta and I shout together, blushing.

"Oh come on. You are so perfect!" She insists.

"We don't want to attract too much attention. And what's with that name 'Peeniss'? It sounds so wrong," I say.

"It's the combination of Peeta and Katniss. If you don't like it, I'll think if some more like, Katpee or Patniss."

"None of those, please," Peeta says. "Though I like the idea of creating a nickname for us."

"Anyway, I disagree with this fan club thing. And Madge, please don't tell anyone about this. It's a secret just between us," I tell her.

"Okay, guess I'll be your only supporter," she sighs.

"Thank you, Madge. I really appreciate it."

After a while, Peeta breaks the silence. "So, shall we grab some food?"

"Sure," I say as we stand up.

We grab the school trays and choose random food like apples, pizzas and meatballs. We return to our seat and Madge is on her phone.

"Don't you think it's time to have a phone, Katniss?" She asks without leaving her gaze from her device.

"Why do you think so?" I ask back, sitting down.

"Well you might need one so you can call Peeta whenever you want."

"She doesn't have to. I can go to her house anytime," Peeta says. I have the feeling that he wants me to have one too but he knows that I can't afford one.

"I would like to, but I can't afford one," I tell her.

"Then take mine," she says, handing me her phone.

"No, you should keep it," I disagree. "Besides, how are you going to call other people?"

"Oh, don't be silly. My father bought me 6 phones and I don't need all of them. Come on, take it."

I look at the phone as if it's the only thing that can connect Peeta and me when we're away from each other. Well it actually is. Reluctantly, I grab it from Madge's palm.

"Thank you, Madge," I say.

"Your welcome. And never mind to delete the stuff inside it. I've deleted all of them for you."

"Seriously, I can't thank you enough for this," I mumble.

"Just take it as my first contribution for my favorite couple, Peeniss," she teases.

"You better stop that before I change my mind," I threaten her jokingly.

Peeta laughs next to me, followed by Madge and finally I find myself laughing too. Then we start eating our lunch with smiles on our faces and jokes from Madge and Peeta. This is my first time laughing and chatting with my friends like an ordinary person. How can things get any better?

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**So what do you think? I know it's quite short but is it okay? Tell me what you think. Reviews make me smile.**


	20. The plan

**Hi guys. Thanks for all the reviews. You guys are really awesome. Here's chapter 20, enjoy reading.**

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After lunch, Peeta, Madge and I are about to go to our different classes. Madge leaves us to give us some precious private time though there are lots of students are still around us. Peeta stays with me until the canteen is completely abandoned, then reaches my hands and kisses my knuckles which cause shivers through my body.

"I really don't want go to class," he complains.

I chuckle at his comment. "No, you can't. I don't want you to damage your reputation just because you want to spend your time with me," I say, though a part of me is yelling to let him stay, but I push that part away.

He sighs in disappointment and lowers our intertwined hands. This time, I kiss his knuckles to make him feel better. His playful smile returns seconds later.

"You owe me a date after school," he whispers.

I roll my eyes jokingly. "Okay, lover boy. I'll see you at the bleachers," I say. I choose the bleachers because today there will be no football practice so the place will be isolated like a ghost town, unless if there are other students making out under the bleachers like Peeta and I did this morning, which I hope not.

He laughs and stands up from his seat, carrying his back over his shoulder and walks across the table to stand at my side with one of my hands still intertwined in his own. "Promise?" He asks, leaning forward so that our foreheads are almost touching.

"Promise," I assure him, giving a smile.

His eyes are shining with excitement and happiness. I stand up and pick up my bag, hang it over my shoulder. I lead us out from the canteen and reluctantly loosen my grip on his warm hand. We check whether the coast is clear or not, then he gives me quick peck on the lips before he leaves to his class. The rest of the day doesn't get any of my focus.

The moment the school bell rings, signaling the day have just finished, I technically jump up from my chair and rush out from my Math class. As promised, Peeta is waiting for me at the football field's bleachers where no one is around, thank God. He welcomes me with a friendly kiss on the cheek because he knows that I'm aware that we're exposed in public and I don't want anyone to suspect anything.

Knowing that no one will hear us, he asks, "So, what are we going to do for our first date?"Honestly, I don't know. My brain is scanning for the perfect place to go until a voice came from the bleachers.

"How about the woods? Seth says as we raise our heads to see him sitting on one of the seats. "Yo," he continues, raising his arm and waves at us.

"Seth?" Peeta and I exclaim as we stare at him and turn to look at each other with a confused look. I can hear Seth laughing above us.

"You know him?" Peeta asks. I nod. "How?"

"Remember the day when I gave you the deer meat?" _The day Delly asked you for a date in front of my eyes, _I think. "After I gave you the meat, on my way home I bumped into him," I explain.

"Oh."

"Which is also the day Kat starts to think that I'm a stalker," Seth adds with a sarcastic tone.

"Really?" Peeta says, raising his head to face him. "Actually I think of the same way about you," he continues.

"How many times should I tell you guys? I. Am. Not. A. Stalker," he sighs. "But if I am, I'll be Peeniss' stalker," he continues jokingly.

Feeling a little scared from learning that he admits himself as a stalker and knowing the nickname Madge made for us, I wrap my arms around myself to prevent myself from shaking even though I know he's only playing around. Just like how he always does.

"Nah, I'm just kidding," he smirks. He then walks ahead, stepping on the seats in front of him, jumps down from the bleachers to the grassy ground and finally stands in front of us. "I'm just a friend who always looks after his friends. That's it," he finishes.

Peeta smiles and lays his hand on his shoulder. "Well then, Seth. You're a really great friend," he says. "I have a feeling that it's because of you and Madge that Katniss and I are together now."

I recall the things that Seth did the moment I met him: he saved Madge and I from Delly and her gang, he brought Madge home for me, and he made me realize how much Peeta wanted to be friends with me. Those things he did are things that are not simply done by a normal friend. And I believe I owe him so much for that.

Seth grins widely and gives us a thumb up. "No problem, Peet." Then he brings back the topic Peeta and I talked about just now. "So about the location of your date, I suggest you guys go to the woods."

I frown in his decision. Who is he to decide the location of our first date? I know he's just being a good friend but I don't want to owe him more. Besides, the woods aren't the safest place to go, so I say, "I'm not sure about that. I can't risk of bringing Peeta to such dangerous place."

Peeta turns his head at me and wraps his arm over my shoulder and presses me to his chest, making me feel comforted. "I actually like the idea, Katniss," he says. "And come to think about it, the plan we made last week was canceled so this can be a replacement or something like that," his voice is hesitant to remind me about the plan which I canceled, and I feel guilty about it. When we made the plan, I was confident in myself to be able to protect him because that time we were just going to have a tour, not a date.

I take my time thinking, trying to decide whether to bring Peeta to the woods or not.

"Hey, don't worry about the wild animals. If I come with you guys, I'm sure they'll run off as if there's a ghost around," Seth assures confidently.

"I appreciate the concern and I hate to say this, but it won't be a date if Katniss and I are not alone," Peeta says, trying to sound grateful.

"Of course, unless if I leave you two the moment we reach our destination. How about that?" He insists.

"Well Katniss? What do you think?" Peeta asks me with a hopeful look.

Curiosity strikes me when Seth confidently said that the animals will stay away from us. "How come you're so sure that we'll be safe?"

"Want some prove?" He sees a cat under the bleachers and approaches it. Immediately, the cat snaps its head and hisses at him as if he's a dog, and it runs off.

"That's not a strong evident if you ask me," I say coldly.

He looks around to find something then he sees a wild dog. He marches towards it and the dog's head snaps like the cat's and growled at him, with another step closer to it, the dog barks as loud as it can as if Seth is a big threat to it. Seth gives a deadly gaze at it, and the poor animal runs away with a whimper.

"See? Animals are scared of me. And in case you didn't notice, you didn't see any bird flying by the moment I'm with you guys, right?"

He's right; this spot is where birds usually fly across to migrate to a warmer place when it's almost winter. It's funny that this time they don't. Though I still have doubts, I have the feeling we can rely on him. So I look at Peeta who looks kind of worried because of my long silence, and I give him a reassuring smile. "I guess we can try," I say.

Peeta pulls me in a hug of appreciation and I hug him back. "Let's go," he says happily.

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**What do you think? I hope you are satisfied with Seth joining Katniss and Peeta's first date. Of course I won't make him interrupt them or doing anything to distract them. So I was wondering since the story takes place when Peeta and Katniss are in high school and they are teenagers, I think there might be some scenes. What can I say? Teenagers are controlled by hormones, if you know what I mean. What do you think? Should I write them? Send me some reviews.**


	21. The best date ever

**Thank you so much for all the reviews for the last chapter. I hope you'll like this one. Enjoy.**

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The three of us walk together to the Town first then go straight to Peeta's house. He insists to bring some food so we can have a picnic at the lake. He silently enters his house through the back door as Seth and I wait outside. Not long after that, he comes back with a basket full of bread and a folded blanket.

We continue our way to the Seam, then to the fence that leads us to the woods. I leave my bag next to a tree bark near the fence. I'm the first one to crawl into the hole of the electrified fence, Peeta passes me the basket then he also crawls into the hole carefully.

I turn around to tell Seth to hurry up. He simply scoffs and crouches to the ground like a lion about to pounce at its prey. Very quickly, in a blink of any eye, he leaps across the 4 meters high fence gracefully with his back bends flexibly, a few inches away from the fence as if he's a professional pole vaulter. He lands his feet on the ground with a small thud. Peeta and I stare at him with our mouths hanging open. Seth grins proudly. Peeta claps his hands as applause, and he bends his back as if he just finished making a show.

"Okay. Show's over. We have to go now," I say.

Seth walks in front of us while I give the direction. Usually I would spot some hungry wild dogs or foxes.

"You should be the woods tour guide, you know?" Peeta says, breaking the silence.

"Thanks, but the job is too boring," Seth replies.

"At least you'd earn some money," Peeta says jokingly.

"Nice try, Peet. I still won't take it. By the way, are we there yet, Kat?"

"Almost there," I tell him.

We are now walking through lots of bushes and high grass, which blocks the way to the lake. We roughly push ourselves through the meddling obstacles and eventually we manage to go pass through.

The first thing we see is the shiny surface that radiates from the aqua-colored water which is caused by the bright sunlight. It was Father who brought me here when I was still a little girl, and after he died I never brought anyone here. Not even Gale. I'm a little disappointed that Peeta isn't the first one, thanks to our 'bodyguard' here because technically he's the first one to step on the location.

I turn to see Peeta still staying silent, enjoying the magnificent view. His eyes wander around the sight, as if he's memorizing everything he sees like the trees, the grass and the water. Seth stretches his body and inhales the smell of the fresh air deeply.

"It smells great around here," he says after exhaling and stretching his arms upwards. "I'm going to roam around. You guys carry on your date." With that he leaves with no other words, but he gives me a wink, as a sign of good luck. Then he disappears into the woods.

I shake Peeta's shoulder to snap him from his little world. "Peeta," I whisper.

He blinks a few times. "What? Oh, sorry. Just got carried away."

"It's okay," I assure him, trying not to make myself sound so nervous. Actually I AM nervous. I mean, this is my first date ever and I really don't know what to do.

Thankfully, he can handle the problem. He grabs the blanket from his basket, unfold it and lay it down on the ground. I sit down on the soft fabric, and hr does the same next to me. As we stare at the lake, we eat some bread and drink the most delicious orange juice I've ever tasted. I notice Peeta takes a few glimpse of me once in a while. I'm guessing that he's nervous as well so I take his hand and lock our fingers, and he squeezes my hand back.

"This is the best date I've ever had," he admits. At first I'm glad with his compliment, until I realized something.

"Have you ever in a date before me?" I ask, suddenly feeling possessive and curious about his dating life. I don't want to imagine him going on a date with some girl but me.

He presses his lips together and gazes back to the lake, as if he regrets for saying those words to me. I keep my gaze on him; I'm not going to let this go. "Peeta," I say, sounding like a mother who calls her child for doing something wrong.

Not long after that, he finally sighs and admits, "Yes."

"How many?"

"Three."

I loosen my grip in disappointment but he takes it back. "But I never enjoyed any of them. Because I wasn't going out with you. And I went out with those girls just because they insisted."

Of course, how come I never knew it? Peeta Mellark, ever the gentleman, would never hurt anyone on purpose. That's why he went out with them. Feeling ashamed for doubting him, I let my gaze fall back to my lap. "I'm sorry."

He brings up his index finger to my chin and tilts my face upwards. "Hey, don't be sorry. I know you're just curious," he assures. I smile with his forgiveness. Then his face turns serious. "Can I ask you something?"

"What is it?" I say.

"Have you ever been with someone… before me?"

I chuckle with his question. That's what he had in his mind since we came here? I look up to look into his features; the shining golden hair of his, his crystal blue eyes that match with the lake, his strong square jaw and his high cheekbones, and those muscular arms of his that have been kneading dough and heavy bags of flour since he was young. I can't believe this handsome boy in front of me is my boyfriend, though I don't dare to say it loud yet. And he is jealous if I've ever been with someone before him. I tell him honestly, "No, Peeta. I don't want to be with anyone else but you. I will NEVER be with anyone else but YOU." I am shocked with my own boldness, but I don't care about that when he flashes a relieved smile.

"I'm glad," he says. "Because I've seen you hang out with him before."

Him? Is he referring to Gale? Since he's the only guy I've been hanging out with before I met Seth. "You mean Gale? Don't worry, he's just my best friend, and we're more like a brother and a sister right now."

He nods, understood. But he looks as if he wants to say something but he makes me change my mind by shoving a cheese bun into my mouth. He laughs hard at my face as I pull the bread out of my mouth and I playfully push his chest, and he falls down onto the blanket. He manages to pull me down with him by grabbing my arm and I fall down onto his chest. We laugh together as I hit his chest lightly with my fists. Eventually our laughs subsidize and we stare at each other. He tucks a strand of my hair that came loose from my braid behind my ear. My hands are splayed on his broad chest, feeling his heart beating fast like mine. Very slowly, as if trying not to surprise me, he leans upward and presses his lips against mine.

I kiss Peeta back with the same amount of passion he's giving me. His lips taste so sweet from the orange juice he just drank. Once again, I feel something stir inside me, knotting my stomach with our lips' synchronized movement. My hands roam from his chest to his silky blonde hair, twirling the strands with my fingers. His arms wrap around my waist and pull me closer to him, and then he rolls over, pinning me down onto the blanket. Our lips never separate from each other as our kiss gets hotter. Suddenly I'm aware with our proximity, and how far are we going?

His lips trail down to my jaw when he notices my doubt. "Sorry. Did I do something wrong?"

"No. It's just that… we're just starting our relationship… and I think we're doing too fast," I say, my voice chokes when I notice the moment just got ruined.

"I understand. We can take it slow," he says. Pushing himself off me, and then takes my hand and pulls me up. I crawl between his legs, and sit back against his chest. He wraps his arms around my waist again and lays his chin on my shoulder. I can feel his warm breath on my skin.

"You know what, Peeta?" I whisper, holding his strong arms.

"What?"

"This is the best date I've ever had, too," I tell him, honestly from the bottom of my heart.

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**I hope I did right with the date scene, since I've never had such a romantic date before. Sorry for disturbing the kissing scene though. Katniss and Peeta just started their relationship, so I know you'll understand. I haven't decided either to write such scenes or not, PM me to tell me help me decide and please share some ideas since I'm running out of ideas. Reviews make me smile.**


	22. Introduction

**Hi, thank you for all the nice reviews. I'm very happy to read all of them. I did say that I was running out of ideas, but thanks to Lover53, one of my great readers, I got new ideas. I hope you'll like it.**

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After our passionate make out session, Peeta and I carry on our date by giving small kisses and telling each other our childhood memories. I never find my childhood desirable but somehow he finds it interesting, especially when I tell him the part when I ate mud because I thought it was chocolate because I was craving for some when I walked pass his family's bakery where they displayed a chocolate cake. I think the memory was disgusting but after looking at Peeta who tries to stop himself from laughing, I find it funny.

He tells me that he gets along with his oldest brother, Patrick very well but he has a few differences between him and his second brother, Peter. His father likes to serve food to the Seam people. He doesn't tell much about his mother, and I completely understand why; she's a very nasty woman who likes to yell, especially to the Seam people unless they have the intention to buy bread, and she likes to hit her children whenever they do mistakes, even slight ones. Peeta doesn't have to tell me this because I've seen it with my own eyes when he saved my life 5 years ago.

I'm sitting on his lap with his arms around my waist as we talk. We don't realize how long we've been sitting here until the sun sets. His breath tickles my bare neck when he speaks. "I like the orange of the sunset. It makes me feel relaxed and it reminds me that the day is over and another great day will happen again."

I turn my neck slightly to face him. Just like he said, he looks so relaxed. "I find sunsets are very beautiful, too," I confess.

"What's your favorite color?" He asks randomly, staring at me.

"Green," I tell him. "Like the forest green."

"Hmm," he sniffs my hair. "You smell like the forest too. I can smell the grass, the fresh air. It's all around you."

"What are you, a dog?" I joke, pushing his face back lightly.

"Well, I am YOUR dog. I've been watching you for eleven years," he confesses with a big smile.

"Wow, I have a cute dog, and the same time a handsome stalker," I say with a sarcastic tone.

"Usually, that would offend me a little. But from you, I'll take that as a compliment."

I ruffle his hair playfully as if he's a dog. "Good boy."

After making jokes, we pack everything back into the basket. He wants to walk me back home, while on that, he wants to give the leftover breads to my family and I don't see what the harm is. Then, all of a sudden, Seth appears from the trees behind us.

"Had fun?" He asks, yawning and tears came from his eyes.

"Were you sleeping?" I ask him.

"Yeah, obviously. It was quite boring you know," he says, wiping his eye.

Peeta says to him, "Sorry to make you waiting." But he simply shakes his head, telling Peeta that it's okay.

"We're going to leave now," I tell Seth, and he nods.

We walk back to the fence with no problem at all like how we came here. This time Seth lazily jumps over the electrified fence which makes me worried because a slight touch might shock him to death. Peeta crawls out first and gives me a hand to pull me out. Seth says he's going to leave but Peeta insists for him to come along so that the next time he hangs out with me, neither Prim nor Mother would be worried. I grab my bag from the tree where I left it and we go straight to my house.

Just when we step on the porch, the door bursts open and a frantic Prim come out running. "Katniss!" She squeals and practically jumps into my arms. "Where were you? You had me worried sick."

I forgot that usually at times like this I would've been at home either helping on dinner or doing my assignment if I have one, plus today is not a hunting day. Before I can say anything, Peeta interrupts me.

"I apologize, Prim. It's my fault that your sister came home late."

Prim releases her grip from me and takes a look behind me to see him and Seth. "Oh. Hi Peeta. I didn't see you," she says. "And you're the guy that came the other day, right?"

Seth raises his hand and waves at her. "Yup, I'm Seth."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Primrose Everdeen," my sister introduces herself with a polite nod. She gets back to the main topic. "How come it's Peeta's fault that you came back late?"

Peeta looks at me with a question in his look, 'Do you want me to tell her?' I shake my head lightly. I don't think I'm ready to tell anyone about our newfound relationship yet, but I'm trying to start by telling Prim and Mother first because they deserve to know this. And I want to tell her myself.

"Why don't we let our guests in first?" Mother says behind the door. "I bet you are hungry. Why don't you join us for dinner?"

"I don't want to intrude, Mrs. Everdeen," Peeta tells her. "We came here to give these breads."

I walk over to him and take his hand. "Please join us," I whisper. I don't want him to go yet I want him to be there when I tell Prim and Mother about us.

He gives me a smile, squeezes my hand back and whispers back, "Okay."

I look back at my family who looks surprised when they see me holding Peeta's hand. "He changes his mind; he's joining us for dinner," I tell them.

Mother snaps out from her gaze and claps her hands. "Great. And how about you, Seth?"

Seth shyly scratches his head. "Dinner would be nice. And please be sure that you don't have anything served with garlic because I'm terribly allergic with garlic."

"Oh, don't worry. Tonight we're having free garlic chicken lasagna."

Prim opens the door wide. "Come on in, everyone."

I lead the boys into the house then into the kitchen. The smell of the food makes my mouth watered and I believe both of them are too. Mother takes an extra chair for her to sit down. I take my spot where Prim usually sits next to me, but this time she sits across me so that Peeta may take her seat. Mother sits at the main seat while Seth sits next to Prim. Peeta starts a conversation as we eat and both of my family members immediately feel comfortable with him, comfortable enough that the kitchen is filled with laughter. Seth cracks a joke once in a while which makes Prim like him. Soon dinner ends with tears coming out of her eyes due to the laughs she had for the rest of the evening. Mother says she'll handle all the dishes and tells us to hang out in the living room.

"So what happened to you and Peeta, Katniss?" My curious sister asks the moment she jumps on the couch. "Because I can see you two are so close to each other when the other day you shut him out."

I wince from the reminder of that horrible day. Peeta gives me a reassuring grip on my hand. I take a deep breath and let the words out, "Welikeeachotherandwearedatin g."

Seth bursts out laughing and my cheeks burn. Prim makes a confused face, "I'm sorry, what? Can you say it slowly?"

I sigh, "Peeta and I like each other and we are dating."

With that, Prim's eyes open wide with shock in them. Then she tries to cover her happy gasp with her hands. "Oh my God, Katniss. I actually never thought you'd ever date anyone. And you're actually dating the nicest person in Panem."

"The whole world, you mean," I correct her with a smile.

She walks over to me and Peeta, giving us a big hug. "I'm so happy for you. And congratulations, Peeta. You're so lucky because Katniss doesn't like people easily."

"It's not impossible to not like Peeta," I correct her one more time.

"It's also impossible to not like your beautiful sister, Prim. Especially when she's as happy as she is right now," Peeta says, pulling me close to him.

I continue where I left after smiling at him. "I also need to thank Seth for that. If he didn't come to our house that day, I wouldn't notice how much I've taken Peeta for granted." I turn to Seth who sits on the main couch. "Thanks, Seth."

He grins, "Anytime, Kat."

To make sure she understands, we tell her everything. She feels guilty that Delly had threatened me by saying that she'll harm Prim, but I say that it's okay and give her a sisterly hug. I look at the clock and notice it's already late. Seth moves to the door after thanking my Mother and Prim. Peeta and I walk behind him, still holding hands. He opens the door, revealing the dark sky full of bright stars. Peeta stops after we descend the stairs and turns around to face my family.

"Thank you so much for the perfect dinner, Mrs. Everdeen," he says. "And Prim, I promise I'll take care of Katniss."

Mother smiles back. "You're very welcome to join us again. And thank you for the breads."

"I know you will, Peeta," Prim says. Then she continues with a snicker, "Come on, Mom. I think we should leave Katniss and her boyfriend alone.

I don't know where has Seth gone to, but I'm glad he's gone because finally Peeta and I are left alone. I stare up to his eyes which are full of happiness and relief.

"I'm glad your family accepts me," he says.

"Of course they would. If I can, why can't they?" I say.

He chuckles. "You're right. So I'll see you tomorrow at school?"

"Obviously. And I'll see you after that."

We stare at each other, and before I know it, we lean into each other at the same time and press our lips against each other for the hundredth time today. This kiss is tender, slow but still passionate. With the stars above our heads, I feel like I'm closer to Heaven more than on Earth. I hold the back of his head and pull him closer. Very reluctantly, we pull from each other due to the lack of oxygen.

"Goodnight, Katniss." He leans one more time to give me a quick peck. Then he walks off to his house and turns around one time to wave at me.

I wave back to him as I say softly, "Goodnight, Peeta."

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**Whew. Wrote all of that within 4 hours was like crazy but I don't want to make you wait any longer. So tell me what you think, am I doing too fast or not? Reviews make me smile.**


	23. Fear and courage

**Wow. Look at all the reviews, follows and favorites. I can't thank you enough for all the supports and praises you gave me. Honestly I never expect I'd write as long as this, but thanks to all of you I have lots of inspirations. By the way, I'm sorry that I accidentally did some typos in the previous chapter. Here's chapter 23. Hope you like it.**

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I don't remember how I ended up in bed last night or how I woke up this morning. I only know that now I'm waiting at the place where Peeta and I first time hung out; the big tree at the boundary between the Seam and the Town. Prim is waiting beside me too. I hear footsteps coming closer to us, and I know they belong to Peeta. Suddenly, a pair of hands covers my eyes from behind me.

"Peeta, I know that's you," I say, smiling.

He lets go of my eyes and I turn around to see him wearing a blue V-neck shirt that matches his eyes over an orange fleet jacket and a pair of black denim jeans. His blonde hair is messy due to the windy day, just the way I like it.

"Good morning to you too," he says, kissing my cheek. "And how did you know it was me?"

"Easy. Who would dare to stalk me from behind besides you? And I can smell your scent, which smells like bread and cinnamon," I tell him.

"Now who's the dog?" He teases, ruffling my hair. I glare at him. "Hey, don't glare at me like that. Be a good girl, okay?" He kisses my forehead this time.

"Aww… you two are so cute," Prim squeals behind me. Her eye shining with awe.

"Hi, Prim," Peeta greets her, giving her a hug and she gladly returns the gesture. "How did you sleep?" He asks me.

I turn my frown upside down. "Honestly, I don't remember anything else after you gave me the goodnight kiss last night," I tell him.

"Really? Because the same thing happened to me too."

I thought I was the only one who felt it. Not that I'm arguing, it's just that I'm glad Peeta felt them same way I felt about the kiss we had last night. That he's returning the same feelings towards me.

A clapping sound wakes me up from my trance which comes from Prim who claps her hands together. "Um… I hate to break it up to you two, but I think we should go now."

"Right," I say, blushing. Geez, I've been blushing and daydreaming so much lately. Things like these are like what those girls from my school keep on doing whenever they are with their boyfriends, which I've always wanted to avoid. But Peeta manages to turn the shy, stubborn, social-free me into a typical girly girl who isn't shy with her boyfriend. And I kind of like this new me. Thanks to this adorable boy standing in front of me.

Peeta chuckles and takes my hand with his bigger one. Prim grabs my other hand and together we walk to school, hand-in-hand like a family. From other people's point of view, we may look like a young couple with their child, another thing that I've always prevented from happening. And I still am. Don't get me wrong, maybe someday Peeta and I will marry. But I'm not sure about the idea of having a child. Questions keep on appearing in my head such as will I be a good mother? Will I be able to raise them properly? And what about Gale, who is still hunting for Peeta? Just thinking about it scares me that my hands start to shake.

He notices the vibration and he looks at me with concern in his eyes. "What's wrong?"

I shake my head. "It's nothing."He nods but I know he won't let this go.

After sending Prim to her school, we continue our way to school. We walk in silence, and it's bugging the hell out of me. Since I'm not good in words, I usually let him start a conversation. But this time he doesn't say anything. So I just let my head hang downwards.

"Can you tell me now?" I look up to face him, his eyes looking straight at mine.

"What?" I say, pretending to be clueless.

"Your hand was shaking just now. Did something happen after I left?"

I'm not sure if I should say that he's either considerate for making sure we sent Prim to her school first so that she wouldn't listen to this conversation or that he's cunning for making sure that we're completely alone and nothing can distract me from answering his question.

"I- I'm just feeling a little cold," I lie.

"Katniss, I can tell if you're lying or not. Please tell me what happened," he insists.

I sigh and try to make a straight face. "I'm still nervous about the fact that we're a couple. And I'm scared how people will judge us." What I'm saying is not completely a lie; I actually do feel scared of people's judgment about us, and I don't want any of us to suffer from that.

He doesn't say a word after I stop my sentence and I think I said something wrong so I don't dare to look at him by gazing at his chest. He raises his hand and uses his index finger to cup my chin so I'm facing him. I expect he would be sad or something, instead he flashes a satisfied smile and his eyes are shining.

"You just admitted that we're a couple," he says softly that I can barely hear him.

I just notice that myself. Did I just say that? "Well, technically we are."

He takes my other hand and squeezes both of them. "Thank you, Katniss," he says. Then he puts his forehead against mine and nuzzles our noses together.

I can't help but smile for him. Despite that I just lied to him, but if that makes him happy, I'd do anything. "Your welcome, Peeta."

"And don't worry about how people will judge us. I don't care as long as you and I can be together," he says with no tone of worry. I touch his cheek and give him a nod.

We stay like that until we realize where we are heading to. He reluctantly breaks the moment. "Shall we go to school now?" He offers me his arm.

"We shall," I say, hooking my arm with his as we stride to our destination.

The more we step ahead, the more I dread for the moment when I have to let go of his arm. I feel like a coward; I have been breaking the district's rule by hunting in the woods with no permission, where I may encounter dangerous beasts. But I can't face people's judgment on my relationship with Peeta. I tighten my fingers into the fabric of his jacket to seek for courage. The courage that I need to face whatever that is going to happen to us in the future. But with Peeta right by my side, I believe we can face it together.

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**Well, there you go. What do you think is going to happen? Don't worry, I've got things planned. Thanks to one of my readers who gave me LOTS of ideas. Reviews make me smile.**


	24. Christmas celebration

**Hey all, I'm back. But I'm still having my exam, and I'm just having a short break so I decide continue the story. Thank you so much for the reviews, by the way. They mean the whole world to me. I cherish very single one of them. **

**I'm gonna skip the story a month later because writing the daily life of Katniss and Peeta would be taking a long time and it's gonna be hard. And thank you to Kat4361 for the flooding ideas; I'd love to use them. But I'm gonna separate them into different chapters. So here's chapter 24. Hope the long chapter makes up the long delay.**

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Peeta and I have started a relationship for a month now, and it's also the happiest month in my life. In the whole month, we've shared hugs, kisses, and cheesy talks that come usually from Peeta. Sometimes, we'd make out at school like ordinary, hormone-controlled teenagers. So far we made out under the bleachers, in our classroom when nobody is around, an even the girl's bathroom. I know it sounds wrong, but Peeta and I never try to surpass the limit of our intimate moments. I know he wouldn't try to do anything that makes me feel uncomfortable. This is another reason why I love him. Yes, I've admitted to myself that I love Peeta.

But I haven't got the guts to tell him yet. Or anyone else.

Winter has come and this month is also when we are going to celebrate Christmas, which is going to be in tonight. We've finished decorating our houses a few days ago so we have some free time to spend with each other. I decide to tell him that I love him tonight.

"Where are you going to celebrate Christmas?" Peeta asks.

"I don't know. How about you?" I say.

We are now sitting on my house's porch with a blanket draped around us and me sitting on his lap; a position that I prefer, while watching snow falling from the clouds to the ground in front of my house. I don't usually like to spend our time together at my place because Prim likes to mock me and Mother is a little protective of me, but since both Prim and Mother are away to Town to buy some stuff for the celebration, I don't mind to stay here at all.

"I'd like to celebrate and spend my Christmas with you," he says, laying his chin on my shoulder.

"You are so cheesy, Mellark," I laugh.

"Well, what can I say? I'm a romantic type of guy. Besides, don't you like me this way, Everdeen?"

I snuggle closer to his strong, warm chest. I close my eyes and inhale the smell of cinnamon and sugar on his skin. "I like you just the way you are."

"Now who's cheesy?" He says with a mocking grin.

I pout and cross my arms over my chest and turn away from him, pretending to be sulking like a child.

"Hey, hey," he says, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulls me to him so that my back is resting against his chest. "I'm just kidding. Can't I be joking around with my girlfriend?"

The term 'girlfriend' that comes from his mouth which he means me never fails to make my heart race. With his soft-velvet voice, all the frustration I was feeling simply vanishes into thin air. I turn back around and look into his sky-blue eyes. Those eyes also never fail to mesmerize me. Every time I stare into them, if feels like I'm absorbed into a deep sea of peace, happiness and I don't ever want resurface again.

I started to realize that my feelings for him have grown for a while since we spend more time together over the past few weeks, especially on that particular day when we had our second date at his house.

_We are standing in front of the Mellark's Bakery and he's tugging my hand for me to go inside with him, but my feet are sticking on the ground as if they are glued._

"_You sure it's okay if I come to your house?" I ask for the hundredth time._

_He chuckles. "Why not? I've been to your house before, so I guess that makes it fair," he says._

"_But wouldn't your family be bothered? Especially your mother, to be exact. I mean, I may be disturbing your family's business."_

"_My parents are away for our distant relative's house; my mother's brother is in the hospital because he's suffering from appendicitis. And we have fewer customers for today, so I believe Patrick and Peter can handle that."_

_My eyebrow twitches and I smile cockily. "Why, Peeta, are you being lazy?" I say, putting a finger on his chest._

"_Why not for my beautiful girlfriend?" He says softly, and a little seductive to me, pulling me by the waist against his body. His forehead is lying against mine, so that his breath is blowing on my face. His breath smells like peppermint and cinnamon._

_The smell of his breath makes my mouth water. My heart is beating wild and pounding against my ribs, as if it tries to escape from my bones to reach out for him. I feel my cheeks burning and I know they must be bright red by now. What is this feeling? I've never felt like this before. The feeling is like hunger. But not the kind of hunger for food or some sort, this is a different kind of hunger; it's like a hunger for him. Hunger for Peeta._

_So I lean in and claim his lips with mine. He seems to be surprised at first but soon he kisses me back. He tilts his head in a better angle so that he can kiss me deeper. His hands move from my waist to my lower back, rubbing it with his palms. My hands automatically slither from my side to the front of his shirt and grab the fabric into my fist, pulling him into me. At this moment I don't care that we're kissing outside his house, where everyone can actually see us, I just want to have Peeta's lips on mine and feel his arms make themselves home around my body._

_My tongue slips from my mouth to lick his lower lip and he makes some kind of sound from his throat, opening his mouth wider. I take this opportunity to enter my tongue into his mouth and come into contact with his tongue. He returns the gesture with pleasure. This time I'm making a moaning sound unintentionally. He seems to like it because he suddenly pulls away from our passionate kissing session and grabs my hand and pulls me to the back of the bakery and pushes me against the wall._

_We continue our hot making out session until we hear a creaking sound from the back door._

"_Hey, Peeta. You're late. Where've you been- whoa!"_

_We break apart and find that Patrick is looking at us wide-eyed. His mouth hangs open._

"_Sorry, Pat. I was just about to invite Katniss to come over," Peeta says, his hand rubs the back of his head. A gesture he makes when he's nervous or being shy._

"_Hello, I'm Katniss Everdeen." I manage to say despite that we are standing quite awkwardly after what his brother just saw. My cheeks are feeling hotter than before. I still try to hide the embarrassment when I offer my hand._

"_Hello, Katniss. My name is Patrick. It's a pleasure to meet you. How nice of you to come over" Patrick says, shaking my hand. I can see why Peeta has a great brother relationship with him; he's very polite, unlike Peter who unsuccessfully tried to flirt with me the moment we met. "I'll just leave you two alone." He's about to close the door when he says with an apologetic smile, "And sorry to bother you from your business." With that, he closes the back door, leaving us alone once again._

"_Well, that was awkward," I mumble._

"_I know, but I won't mind about it too much because I'm sure he won't tell anyone about that," says Peeta confidently._

_My fingers are caressing my lips, trying to feel the intimate kiss we just shared._

"_I'm sorry for that, though," he continues._

"_No, it wasn't your fault," I tell him, grabbing his hand with my other hand._

_He clears his throat then gives me a smile. "So… I guess you're coming over, right?" _

_I give back a reassuring smile. "Despite that I might die in embarrassment if I see your brother again, I can't just say 'no' after what we just did, do I?"_

"_Yay for me," he cheers and I laugh quietly._

_Then he drags me into his house and we go straight to the living room where we comfortably sit next to each other on the cozy couch. We spend the whole day watching a movie on his large TV and sharing innocent kisses. By late afternoon, he drops me home and doesn't leave without giving me a soft peck on my lips._

"What are you thinking?" He asks, snapping me from the flashback.

"Nothing. Just losing myself in the moment I'm spending with my boyfriend."

"I hope you're enjoying."

"Of course I am," I say, wrapping my arms around his neck. "In fact, I know how to make things better." Then I press my lips against his.

"I think I'm going to enjoy it as well," he whispers between our brushing lips. I can hear the smile in his voice.

We kiss for a while then reluctantly we pull away because he needs to go back and tell his family that he's going to celebrate Christmas with my family, though I know his mother will disagree with his decision. Besides, I have the feeling that Prim and Mother are on their way home, and I don't want them to see us making out. They arrive right when he's about to leave. He promises he'll come back soon and kisses me on the cheek.

My family and I enter our house and get ready for tonight's celebrations. Knowing that we'll be having a guest, Mother cooks more than the previous years, she cooks a roasted turkey, chicken and dumplings. Prim and I continue the decoration on the Christmas tree. We also gather the presents near to the tree. I prepare the fire on the fireplace. Once we finished all the decorations, we change into something better to wear. I grab the best clothes I have; a short-sleeved light blue dress that reaches my knees. I decide to let my hair down because Peeta likes it this way.

By around 7, I hear a knock on the front door. I rush to open it. I smile at the sight of him; he's wearing a dark blue button down shirt over a brown winter coat with a furry hood. He's also wearing a pair of dark jeans. His blonde hair is a bit messy, just the way I like it. Although he is covered with snow, he still looks beautiful as ever. He has a large brown bag and presents wrapped in beautiful wrapper in his hands. I pull him in so that he can get away from the cold. I kiss him on the cheek.

"Merry Christmas," he greets with a smile while shaking the snow off his head and shoulders.

"Merry Christmas," I greet back, helping him hang his coat on the wooden coat rack. "What do you have there?"

He simply tells me, "You'll know soon enough."

"Hi, Peeta," Prim squeals, coming from the stairs.

"Hello, Prim," he says and slouches a little to give her a hug.

"You're quite early, Peeta," she says.

"Well I can't wait to reunite with your sister." He gives me a wink and I giggle.

"Ah, welcome, Peeta," Mother welcomes him. "We've been expecting you."

"Thank you for having me over, Mrs. Everdeen," says Peeta politely, "I brought some food as well." He then gives the brown bag to her.

She looks into the bag and she looks as if she's looking at some treasure. "Oh dear, thank you very much."

"It was my pleasure, Mrs. Everdeen."

"Why don't you sit down while I prepare the food?" She then disappears into the kitchen again.

He nods as I pull him to our living room. Prim asks him about his daily routine in the bakery and how he bakes. Not long after that Mother calls us to the kitchen.

The kitchen is filled with delicious aroma of tonight's meal. On the table, we have a roast turkey and chicken and dumpling that Mother cooked. There are also an apple pie, cheese buns and some gingerbread men. I look at Peeta and he flashes me a proud smile.

"You made all of these?" I ask in awe.

"I need to bring something, don't I?"

"But this is too much!"

"I don't really mind. And I have the feeling Prim would like some cookies." He looks at my sister who is eyeing on the gingerbread men. "Don't you, Prim?"

"I've always loved gingerbread men. Thank you Peeta!"

"Your welcome." He then leans to whisper in my ear. "And I know you haven't tasted my cheese buns for a long time. I'm sure you're craving for them by now."

It's true; his cheese bun is the most delicious food I've ever tasted. I would trade anything just to have one. The last time I ate them was during our date at the lake.

"Yeah, you're right. And where's Seth? Didn't you ask him to come with you?"

"I did. He said he'll be here in a minute."

And that's when there's another knock on the door. I open it to find Seth standing in front of me with a red scarf around his neck. He's wearing a black winter coat, and his black and white hair is covered with snow. He has a quite thick book in his hands.

"Yo. Merry Christmas," he says cheerfully.

"Hey. Merry Christmas," I welcome him. I close the door after he enters the house. "Where have you been?"

He tells me, "I was making something for you and Rose and Mrs. Everdeen something. Be grateful 'cuz I'm not the type that usually give presents." I believe when he said Rose, he means Prim. He really likes to call people with names that they don't use. "Are we going to stand here forever or what?"

"Let's go to the kitchen."

In the kitchen, he greets Mother and Prim and then we eat the dishes while laughing and tell jokes to each other. The cheese buns Peeta made taste so good that I feel like to eat all of them. Prim laughs so bad when Seth is too cautious for the chicken and dumpling because he thinks it contains garlic but actually Mother made it garlic-free, saying she has the feeling that he's coming over as well.

After filling our stomachs, we go to the living room to give presents. Both Mother and Prim apologize to Peeta and Seth that they didn't buy anything from them but Peeta says that celebrating Christmas with us is enough. And Seth says he doesn't mind to not receiving presents.

Mother starts by giving me some notes about medical plants that might be useful for me in the woods, she then gives Prim a beautiful necklace that hangs a metal designed as a primrose flower. Prim in exchange gives me and Mother a handmade scarf that she secretly learns from Greasy Sae. Next it's my turn to give gifts. I give my mother a set of medical kit. Then I give my sister a pair of winter gloves so that she can keep herself warm through the whole winter. I turn to Peeta and give him a drawing kit. I can tell he's trying to hold himself from kissing me in front of my family. He still doesn't know that I have another present for him.

Seth pulls something from his pants' pocket and drops something on my palm.

It's a bracelet that has a wooden-carved bow and arrow hanging around a piece of thread. I take a closer look on the present and notice how it is made neatly. I hold the bracelet in my hands tightly. "Thanks. I didn't know you make this kind of stuff."

He grins proudly. "I'm full of surprises, you know."

He then passes my sister a gift which is a cat collar that has a bell for Buttercup. He hands Mother the book which is filled with some information about medical plants that we've never known. Peeta says Seth doesn't need to give him anything because he has given something that he has wanted for a long time: me. Because of his help for the past month, we are together now.

Peeta has the final turn. He gives Prim a book recipe to bake cookies. He hands my mother some kitchen utensils. He's about to give me my present but suddenly there's a knock on the door.

I get up to see who it is. When I open the door, I am so shocked that I can't say a word for a while. When I do, I only manage to say a word.

"Gale."

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**Dun dun dun dunn! Hope you liked the sweet and fluffiness. And make sure to cherish it because there will be some drama in the next chapter. Beware that the updating process will take quite a long time. Please bear with me. And to encourage me to update slightly faster, please leave some reviews.**


	25. Misunderstanding

**Thank you so much for the reviews. In one of them, someone asked if I should write a chapter where Seth's identity is revealed. And I think I should ask for your opinion. So please leave a PM for that.**

**Anyway, this chapter contains some drama. Hope you enjoy it though you may not like it.**

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"Hi, Catnip. Merry Christmas," Gale says.

"Merry Christmas to you too, Gale," I say, trying to sound normal. Why does he have to interrupt the perfect night when I'm about to tell Peeta my true feelings? And he came right when Peeta was about to give my present.

"Are you going to let me in?" He asks.

I'm still standing at the front door, still deciding whether to let him in or not. Come to think of it, I haven't seen him for a long time. Not even during hunting. He seemed as if he's trying to avoid me. But now he's standing at my house, waiting to enter.

"Katniss. Who is it?" Peeta appears behind me. "Oh," he says the moment he sees Gale. "You're Gale, right?"

"Oh. So the baker boy knew me," Gale says with a smug.

"Of course. Katniss told me a few times about you?" Peeta tells him. "I'm Peeta Mellark, by the way," he continues with a polite smile, offering his hand and Gale lazily shakes it.

It's true that there were a few times I told Peeta about him. About his family, about the sad experience of losing our fathers, our hunting days and that's it, nothing else. I don't know why but I have a bad feeling of having Gale over.

"Umm… Gale?" I start. "Can you come over tomorrow? Then we'll go hunting?" I know it sounds rude but I really don't want to have him in tonight.

But Peeta disagrees with my suggestion. "Why don't we just let him in, Katnisss? He came all the way here. We can't just let him go back out there where it's snowing." Oh Peeta, the kindest and the most generous man ever would never let that happen. If only he knew that Gale actually has his own plans, which I really want to know.

"I agree with _Peeta_, Catnip. Do you want me get a cold?" Gale says, with some kind of tone when he mentions Peeta's name. It sounds quite mocking, though. And I glare at him for that and he simply raises the corner of his mouth, creating a cocky smile.

But I let him in anyway. He shrugs his coat off and hangs it on the coat rack, next to Peeta's. Although he has been to my house a few times and memorizes the house structure, he makes me lead him to the living room where everyone is gathering.

The moment he steps in, Seth who is sitting on one of the couches glares at him like a cat to a dog. His red eyes are beaming with hate and annoyance as if he knows that Gale dislikes Peeta. His smile is gone from its smile even though just a second ago he was laughing hard.

Prim squeals when Gale steps in between me and Peeta, shoving his shoulder quite roughly with Peeta's. Why does he have to act rudely to him even though he knows that it's because of Peeta that I let him in?

"Hi, Gale!" She jumps from her seat and into his arms.

"Hey, Prim. How are you?" Gale says.

"I'm doing fine. How's your family?" She asks.

"They're doing fine as well. Rory is quite whiny because he wanted to come along."

"Then why didn't you bring him as well?" My mother asks.

"Ah you see, Mrs. Everdeen. I want to talk to Katniss," he says. Then he looks at Peeta. "And I'd like to speak with her alone. So, Catnip, can we go to the kitchen for a while?" Then he grabs my hand and pulls me to the kitchen.

I look at Peeta and say mentally, _I'll be right back._ He gives me a nod. I pull my hand from Gale's once we enter our kitchen and cross my arms against my chest. "What is it that you want, Gale?" I say.

He releases a deep breath. "Look, I want to apologize for my behavior for the past few weeks. I just wanted to protect you. From _him," _he explains.

"Protect me from who? Peeta?" I try to make my voice low so that nobody can hear this. "He won't hurt me. Not ever. And to tell you the truth, we're together now. So it's too late for that."

His eyes are bulging in surprise. "What? You're with him now?" He chuckles frustratingly. "I thought you were better than this, Catnip," he says.

"What does that supposed to mean?" I ask, confused.

"Don't you see? Baker boy has swept you off your feet!" His voice is less than a whisper. "Remember you told me that you never wanted to have any relationship with anyone? See what's happening now? He makes you feel weak and pathetic, Catnip!"

I feel my anger rise. "Don't you dare to say that! He never makes me feel weak or pathetic. Instead he makes feel loved and cherished!" I'm sure everyone can hear that and soon one of them should walk into the kitchen. And I hope it's going to be Peeta because I can't stand being in the same room with Gale anymore. I only want to hear his voice again.

"And you don't see that I'm trying to show those affections to you?" He yells.

With that, I'm lost in words. What does he mean by that? I look at him with a puzzled look.

He looks at me with strong determination in his eyes. "Can't you see that I'm in love with you?" He asks with a softer voice.

Once again, I have no idea what to say. Since when did he start to like me anyway?

"I've always loved you, Catnip, ever since we first met in the woods. I've never met anyone like you; strong, brave, independent. We were same. And we still are. We try to feed our family on our own without anyone's help but each other's. Have you forgotten those days?"

I'm still shocked from his sudden confession but nothing surprises me more when he suddenly pushes me back until my back hits the counter and he kisses me hard on the lips. I'm too astonished that I can't even move, but when I do, I move my arms from my sides push his chest hard. But he won't budge. I hit him multiple times until he backs away. My eyes are wide open and my breath is ragged from the sudden kiss.

Gale stumbles backwards but regains his balance after that. He licks his lips with an arrogant smirk. I instantly hear someone gasp behind him. I take a peek over his shoulder to see who it is.

Oh God. Peeta.

He's as speechless as I am. His mouth hangs open widely as if his jaw can drop on the floor which thankfully it doesn't. But his eyes are filled with surprise and disbelief, and then they change into confusion and anger when his eyebrows furrow. He has a box of present which is mine in his hands, and he grasps it tightly that the wrapper starts to get crumbled. Then he strides out from the kitchen.

"Peeta, wait!" I call after him. I shove Gale out of the way to chase after him. He's at the hallway, just taking his coat from the coat rack. "Peeta!" My family and Seth are still on their seats, confusingly watching us.

He opens the door and before he can slam it on my face, I hold the door from closing. He stomps out into the porch as I run after him, my untied hair flutters in the air. "Peeta!" I try one more time. "Please wait!"

He's already out in the snow when I leap over the porch steps. Despite that I'm only wearing a thin dress and the cold immediately stings my feet when I touch the snowy ground, I don't care, I just want to hold him and explain everything to him. I finally stop him by grabbing his arm with both of my hands and stand in front of him. He doesn't look at me. His eyes are only facing to the other way.

I put my hands on his cheeks to make him look at me. He does but only to look at me with anger and frustration on his face. "It's not like what it looked like," I start.

"I saw everything, Katniss. You two kissed," he says, his voice is barely a whisper that I can hardly hear him.

"Please let me explain," I plead to him. I feel tears start to prick my eyes.

"Don't," he interrupts. "Just don't."

He steps aside and walks away. I'm about to chase him again until I feel a hand on my shoulder. I turn to observe that it's Seth, already wearing his winter coat again. He shakes his head at me. His eyes filled with worry.

"Stay in your house, Kat. I'll try to talk to him," he says. "I'll come find you when things get better." Then he goes to disappear into the snowy road along with my boyfriend.

I listen to him because I know that Peeta needs some space. But my heart is battling to go after him with my mind and logical thought and my mind wins the battle. I am standing at the empty and freezing road as snow falls onto my head like the tears that are falling from my eyes.

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**I beg to all of you not to kill me. There are always misunderstandings in every drama. There are also good things that will happen after that. Please hang on with me. And pretty please leave some reviews. **


	26. Worst Christmas ever

**Hey all! The worst is over which is my end of year exam! So that means that I'm starting to have more freedom by the end of the year. However, I still have my outdoor project activities so I'm trying to update the story as frequent as possible.**

**Thanks so much for the wonderful reviews though must of them are about how Gale is being such an asshole. Anyway, the story continues here. Hope you enjoy it.**

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When I feel my tears have dried up, I stomp back into the house with boiling fury inside me. Once I reach my house's front door, I push the door open, revealing Prim and Mother who seem to be arguing with Gale. I don't give a fuck what they are saying, I just step forward with heavy steps until I reach him with snow draping my head and shoulders, then I push him hard on his chest.

"Catnip, I-" he starts. I cut him with a powerful slap on his face.

I believe it's so strong that the whole house is filled with the smacking sound. He stumbles backwards from the impact. He then holds the spot where I hit with his palm. He should be glad that I didn't use my fist. Yet.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT ABOUT?!" I yell at him at the top of my lungs. "HOW DARE YOU DID THAT IN FRONT OF HIM!"

"Catnip, he deserves it," he tries to reason. "He should know from the start that you belong with me."

Once again, my anger bursts out. Without minding my own words, I simply let the words out. "NO HE DOESN'T AND I WILL NEVER BELONG WITH YOU! I WANT YOU TO GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HOUSE RIGHT NOW! YOU DON'T DESERVE TO BE IN MY HOUSE ANYMORE!"

My family members are just standing there, watching us as I release my huge tantrum at him, which he deserves.

"I DON'T EVER WANT TO SEE YOUR FUCKING FACE ANYMORE! GET THE HELL OUT NOW!" My voice is starting to get hurt as my throat dries up from all the screaming.

With that, Gale has a painful expression on his face as if I just tore his heart out of his chest, but I don't care. He doesn't make an attempt to move at all, so with lots of effort, I grab his arm and start to drag him to the front door. Once he's out from my house, I take his coat from the coat rake and throw it out as well. I slam the door close on his pathetic face where his cheek is reddening, and then I lean back against the door and slowly slide down on the floor.

I pull my knees to my chest and hide my face between my legs and my chest. My tears are filling my eyes again; soon I'm making a sound that I make whenever I cry which I can't control and I hate it. I feel Mother's gentle hands holding my arms and very slowly get me up on my foot. She walks me to the living room and places me near to the fireplace for me to heat up. Prim kneels next to me and dries my hair and dress with a dry towel as she whispers comforting words but none of them work. The only thing that can comfort me now is Peeta. I wish he was here to hold me in his arms and murmur that it's going to be okay. I wish he would also listen to me in the first place.

That's when I have an idea pop in my head. I climb the stairs two steps at a time and burst in my room. I rummage my backpack, my desk then my bed, and finally I find the phone that Madge gave me a month ago under my pillow. I don't usually use it, but looking through the whole situation, I need to try contact with him as soon as possible.

I dial his number and put the phone on my right ear. I hear the ringing starts but no matter how long it rings, he doesn't answer it. I try one more time. "Come on, Peeta. Pick it up, please," I mumble desperately. But to no avail. I decide to send him a message.

_Peeta, please believe me that it's not the way you think it is. Gale started it and I tried to stop him. Please let me explain the whole thing to you. I don't want us to be apart. I want to see you. I want to be with you right now. Please reply as soon as you read this._

I click send and hold the phone close to my face as I close my eyes and start to pray that the message that I pour my feelings into will reach him. I curl up in my bed with the phone still in my hands, not bothering to change my wet clothes because without Peeta, I don't care if I'll be sick or not. My tired eyes immediately find the rest they need but my heart doesn't.

_I'm standing in a dark place where everything around me is unable to be seen as it is covered with think layers of fog. I walk around, trying to find an exit from this place but I can't find one. Suddenly, a burst of light appears before me. I run towards the light, and then I see someone standing at the middle of the light. _

_Peeta. He stretches his hand towards me and I quicken my pace to meet him. My arm stretches forward to embrace him. When I'm close enough to touch him, my body passes through his as if he's made of fog. I fall down on the ground and turn around to see his body turns into mist and vanishes into the air._

"_No!" I scream, afraid to look Peeta disappear before my eyes._

_But soon the mist gathers and his body regains its shape afterwards. He looks at his body parts to examine them, and then turns his attention at me. _

_My heart contracts in pain when I look at his sad face that has a sign of hurtful expression. I try again to hold his hand but once again, my hand just passes through his. I feel tears sting my eyes when I realize that I can't touch him._

_He then starts to move forward and passes through me. I feel a cold trail stinging my bare skin as his body evaporates around me._

"_PEETA!" I cry out with the highest voice I have, trying to reach him. My tears glide on my cheeks as I fall onto my knees and lay on my side against the ground. Soon I fall into darkness._

The next thing I know when I open my eyes is that it's already morning. I raise my hands to learn that they feel as cold as they were in my dreams. I move them to my cheeks and realize that there are some tear stains. I slowly sit up and my head spins like crazy. The clock that hangs on my wall says that it's already 11 in the morning. Usually at this time, Prim would check on me to wake me up but I have the feeling they know that they should give me some space after last night. And I appreciate them for that. Holding my head, I move to the bathroom. While taking my shower, I instantly recall the memory of last night. Just when I thought it would be the best Christmas ever, it turned into the worst Christmas in history.

Suddenly I hear a ringing sound from my phone and I quickly turn the shower off and grab a towel to cover my body. I ran into my room and find it on my bed. I look at the screen, expecting to see Peeta's name. My hope ebbs away when it doesn't, instead it reads Madge's name. Still, I click on the answer button with my other hand holding the towel against my chest.

"Hey, Katniss!" She says cheerfully.

"Hey, Madge," I say weakly from disappointment.

"Your voice sounds so low. Are you okay?" Great. Now she sounds worried.

"Would you believe me when I say that I'm okay?"

"Nope, probably no."

"Well then you're right."

"What happened?"

I sigh. "I really don't want to talk about it, Madge."

"Is it that bad?"

"I haven't felt so terrible in my life," I tell her honestly.

There's a bit of silence for a while before she continues, "Do you think you can share it with me?"

Maybe telling her won't be such a bad idea, knowing that doing so might loosen a bit the pain my heart is having right now. "Do you think you can come over? It's better to tell you in person."

"Sure. I'll be over in half an hour. See you soon."

I remove the phone from my ear and my hand lies on the middle of my knees as I limply sit on my bed. After a while, I put my phone on the nightstand beside my bed. I grab my daily clothes; a simple t-shirt and a pair of shorts. Just when I finish braiding my hair, I hear the bell rings. I go downstairs, passing through the kitchen where Prim and Mother are eating their breakfast. I catch a glimpse of worry on their faces so I give them a small smile to tell them I'm okay. I reach the doorknob and turn it, showing a standing Madge at my front door.

"Hi, good morning," she greets.

"Good morning," I say, giving the best smile I can give. I gesture her to our living room. "Come on in."

"Thanks." She comes in right when my family comes out of the kitchen. "Hi, I'm Madge Undersee," she says politely.

"Hi, Madge. I'm Prim," my sister returns a smile.

"I hope I'm not interrupting," Madge says with a shy smile.

"Of course, you're not. We're just having breakfast. Care to join us?" My mother offers.

"Sure, thank you."

With that we all go to the kitchen to eat some bread from last night's leftovers. I try to choke down my tears because they remind me of the person who baked them. Once we're done, I take Madge up into my room so that we can talk privately.

"So, what is it that you're going to share with me?" She asks as she plops down on my bed.

I close my door tightly then walk over to her. I take a deep breath before I tell her, "My friend, well now ex-friend Gale kissed me last night and Peeta saw it."

I hear her gasp softly. "Oh my God. And then?"

I continue, "He took it the wrong way and went home angrily."

I feel her shift closer to me. She pulls me to her as she gives me a hug. "I'm so sorry, Katniss," she coaxes. "I'm sure things will get better. You know Peeta's a forgiving type of guy."

In her arms, I feel slightly better. "I know. It's just that I wish he would listen to me first."

"He just need some time to calm down," she says.

"But I want to see him." I sound like a demanding little girl, but I don't seem to mind if it's for him.

"Tell you what? We wait till he feels ready to see you, then you go ahead and meet him," she suggests.

I pull away slightly enough to look at her and give her a hug. "Thank you so much, Madge," I say.

She returns the gesture happily. "Your welcome, Katniss."

Then there's a light knocking sound on my door and we pull apart. "Come on in," I say.

The door opens and Seth shows up behind it. "Hey, I hope I'm not interrupting anything," he says.

"No. Not at all," Madge assures him.

"Good. Because I have good news for you, Kat," he carries on.

"Let's hear it," I say.

"I've talked to Peet about what happened last night. He seems to get it but I think he still needs some time to think."

"Think about what?" I ask.

He flashes a smile. "How to apologize to you for his behavior last night."

Oh sweet, kind, considerate Peeta. Why should he apologize? It's Gale who actually needs to kneel down and beg for forgiveness.

"I hope you know what this means, Kat," says Seth. I give him a perplexed look. "It means you already have the chance to meet him."

I feel my lips form a smile that reaches my eyes. I'm going to see Peeta. Madge jumps from my bed excitedly.

"This is great. When are you going to meet him?" She asks.

I look at her and Seth. "Right now."

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**Be prepared for the fluffiness that will appear in the next chapter. Reviews make me smile.**


	27. The three magical words

**Hey hey hey. Sorry for the long delay, I was having a bad fever and I was busy with my project. And I just bought the newly published Finale by Becca Fitzpatrick so it took quite a while to continue the story. But no worries; the new chapter is here. And thank you so much for the supports.**

**To Kat4361 why Katniss was wearing shorts during winter is because her house was warm due to her hot shower and the fireplace LOL. And thank you so much for ideas and sorry to keep you waiting.**

**Anyway, the story continues here. Hope you like it.**

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I shove Seth out of my room because I want to change my clothes to a pair of jeans and a winter jacket. I tuck my jeans into my boots as Madge helps to braid my hair. I'm just in a hurry, thinking that I'm going to see Peeta in a few more minutes.

"You sure look happy, Katniss," Madge says behind me with an obvious joy in her voice.

"I am _excited," _I correct her with the big smile I have since I find that I'll see him in a few minutes later. My head is jumbled with words that I want to say when I face him. _I missed you. Please don't leave me like that again. _And something like, _Did you miss me like how I missed you? _Despite that the last time I saw him was last night, I can't stop the feeling of longing for him. The feeling is so intense that it scares me. Because the way he left seemed so final for our relationship. And I want to make sure it's not.

I finish tying my boot laces and quickly rush towards my door and push it open. There's a loud banging sound and I hear Seth's voice groaning. I peek over the door and see him crouching with his palms covering his forehead. His mouth is agape in shock and pain. And then I realize what just happened.

I hide my gasp by holding my mouth with my hand. "Oh God, are you okay?" I ask.

He quickly stands up, regaining his posture but still rubbing his forehead with the back of his hand. "Yeah, I'm good."

"I'm so sorry," I say, trying to make out an apologetic tone but with the giddiness I'm having right now, it's difficult to do so.

"It's fine. Now hurry up and go to your Romeo." he chuckles and gestures to shoo me to the front door. "And by the way Kat," he continues, "Don't forget to look on the left side of the tree next his window."

I don't know what he means by that but I give him a nod anyway. I sprint down the stairs with loud footsteps, completely losing my ability of quietness in my movement. Prim shows up from the kitchen, looking at me with confusion in her face.

"Where are you going?" She asks me as I run in front of her.

Wasting no time, I yell, "I'm going to the bakery. Wish me luck, Prim." Before I close the door, I manage to take a glimpse of my sister's face cover with surprise and expectant. And I promise I won't disappoint her, Seth and Madge.

I run on the porch and leap over the steps just like I did last night, except that my landing distance is farther than last night's because my body is filled with adrenaline and the urge to see my boyfriend again. Running across the Seam, to the boundary line and into town sure takes a lot of stamina; I'm just a few blocks away from his house and I'm already out of breath, my lungs craving for oxygen, but my heart craves for Peeta. So I keep on running even though my lungs feel as if they are about to burst.

I finally reach my destination and put one hand on my knee while the other one is resting on my chest as my head faces the ground and I take deep breaths from my sprint. Sweat glistened on my face despite that there's snow everywhere. I then raise my head and look at the bakery. It's not as packed as I thought, probably due to the cold. Without wasting anymore time, I run to the left side of the building where I know Peeta's window is located. I look up to his window and notice that it's closed and quite high up. Then Seth's advice comes into my mind.

_Don't forget to look on the left side of the tree next to his window._

I walk to the tree near the bakery and realize there's a ladder leaning against the trunk. I smile and note in my mind that I need to thank him later for this. I hold the ladder and immediately jump back because the cold metal is completely freezing. I blow a warm breath to my palms and rub my palms, creating a friction and heat. Once again, I grab the ladder and bring it to his window. I tilt the ladder slowly so that I won't make too much sound to disturb anyone, but more like I want to surprise Peeta. The tip of the ladder reaches exactly at his windowsill and I shake the ladder, testing its balance. Very slowly, I step on the steps and before I know it, I'm higher than I expected which makes me feel glad because the higher I get, the more confident I become. When I reach his window, I take a peek through the glass and realize that the curtains are tied on either side of the window and I can see Peeta behind it.

He is sitting on a stool, slightly slouching towards a canvas with a paint brush between his fingers. His face is serious and full with concentration, just like when he drew my portrait for his Art class. I can just look at him and watch him painting from here but my body has a different idea, the weather is cold out here and I don't think my body can hold it any longer so unconsciously I tap against the glass. That snaps him from his concentration and he accidentally hurls his brush to the air in shock and it falls lightly on the floor. His head finds where the sound comes from and his gaze finally reaches me. He stands up from his stool and walks over to me. He's still staring at me with surprise and disbelief as if he can't believe that I'm actually here, with him.

"Katniss?" He croaks, his hands coming closer to the windowsill and quickly unlocks it and pushes it upwards. The cool breeze touches his still surprised face.

"Hey," I say with a smile.

"What are you doing here?" He asks. Before I can answer him, he realizes the cold weather. "Come on in." He takes my hands with his bigger ones and pulls me in carefully.

I duck my head to avoid his windowsill and once I'm in, my feet step on the floor silently. Immediately, he wraps his arms around my shoulders and pulls me against his firm body. I happily and willingly return the gesture by moving my arms under his and wrap them around his torso, gathering the fabric of his shirt in my hands and never have the intention of letting go. He rests his cheek against my head as I rest mine on his shoulder, smelling his scent of cinnamon and paint.

"I'm so sorry for leaving you like that," he starts.

I shake my head. "It's okay. I shouldn't have let him into the house in the first place."

"I should've stopped and listened to you. I guess I let my ego get the best of me," he chuckles.

I pull away just enough to look at him. I smile at the thought that he repeated the same thing I said when we first confessed that we liked each things are different now; I love him and I know he feels the same way towards me.

"And I'm sorry you had to see that and I didn't try hard enough to push him away," I continue.

"It's all right. I saw how much you tried to but I was too consumed in jealousy at that time and I wasn't thinking rationally. Just remind me to punch him on the face the next time I see him. Because I want to make him regret for kissing my girlfriend and to tell him that you belong with me."

I've never heard Peeta said something with so much grudge. But I find him _hotter_ when he's jealous and possessive.

"By the way, where did you get the ladder?" He asks after the tension leaves him.

I simply tell him, "Remind me to thank Seth later for that."

"That guy really is helpful," he states. And I agree with him.

The room goes silent as we keep on staring at each other. I gulp. I don't care if he has read my message or not but _It's now or never, _I think. I have to tell him _NOW._

"Peeta," I whisper. _Here goes. _"I love you."

He doesn't respond. He only looks at me wide eyed and his has a slight gap between his lips. So I repeat, a bit louder this time. "I love you, Peeta."

He suddenly pulls me back into a fierce hug. He then enthusiastically whispers, "Is this real? The girl of my dreams just said that she loves me?"

I hug him back with the same amount of strength. I whisper to his ear, "It's real, Peeta. Very real."

He pulls back and puts his forehead against mine. "I love you too, Katniss. I've always loved you for so long," he confesses, then says, "I can't believe that you're actually here, in my room and you're telling me that you love me."

I smile at him, laying my palms on his shoulders and squeeze them in reassurance. "Well you better believe it because there's no turning back."

"Oh I wouldn't want to turn back. Not with you here in my arms," he says, moving his arms from my shoulders to my waist.

My heart flutters in his words. I don't know how long we stand with our arms enveloping each other. The next thing I know is that his lips are colliding against mine. He kisses me softly and I kiss him back. After a while, his lips leave mine only to move to my forehead.

"I've missed you," he says after kissing my forehead. His hands move to my cheek and tilt my head so that I'm looking at his gorgeous, shiny blue eyes.

"It has been just a day," I tease, though I know that I've missed him as well.

"It seems forever to me."

I laugh softly. "Just so that you'll know; I've missed you too."

He laughs softly. I put my hand at the back of his neck and pull his mouth to mine. This time he kisses me hard, as if there will be no tomorrow. He opens his mouth and his tongue slithers out and licks my bottom lip, begging for entrance and I grant it. Our tongues dance together as his hands move expertly from my waist to the small of my back, pulling me securely to his body. I move my arms to lock them around his neck. One of my hands move from his neck to lose itself in his blonde curls, while the other remains in its position at the back of his neck to feel the tip of his hair.

We kiss for an eternity, locking the world away from our heads. But a cold breeze blows from his window and causes me to shiver since it directly blows at my back. Peeta unwraps his grip on me and moves to close his window, leaving me standing in the middle of the room. Soon afterwards he returns to me along with his lips. Surprisingly, he moves us backwards until we reach his bed and I have no attempt to stop him. He gently pushes me onto the soft mattress, his lips never leave mine. We kiss frantically and passionately, afraid if we stop, we'd lose each other.

My arms loosen from his neck only to slide my hands on his chest, feeling the muscles under his shirt. They then move to feel his biceps, and I realize how strong he is. He's muscular but not overly muscular, just enough to make himself look slightly built, which is enough for me. My heart beats harder against my chest when my hands reach the hem of his shirt. We've never done anything like this before so I'm a little nervous, but when I look at Peeta, all of my worries simply vanish. He helps me to shrug his shirt over his head and I'm completely stunned with the magnificence of his body; a six-pack abs and well-shaped muscle of his chest.

He lowers his head and we continue to kiss until I'm sure that my heart is going to explode out of happiness.

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**The end.**

**NOT! Hold your horses; this is not the end yet. I still have tons of ideas to write. Sadly to say that the next chapter might come a bit slow. I still have lots of things to do for my project. Please be patient with me, thank you. By the way the fluff ain't over yet. More to come in the next chapter. ****Reviews make me smile.**


	28. Gift and baking class

**Wow! 162 reviews, 143 follows and 83 favourites?! You guys are all awesome. I love every single one of you. Thank you so much for the supports and reviews. I hope the long chapter will show my gratitude to all of you. Hope you like it.**

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Peeta and I are still lying on his bed, with my jacket removed so that I'm only wearing my long-sleeved shirt and my jeans. He's still hovering above me wearing nothing but his worn-out jeans. He's giving me soft pecks on my face.

"I." He kisses my left cheek. "Love." My right cheek. "You." My forehead. "So." The tip of my nose. "Much." And finally my lips.

I giggle between our kiss. "I love you too," I tell him.

"Do you know how long I've been waiting for you to say that?" He smiles at me, caressing my face gently with his hands.

I make a pretend confused face. "I don't know… a month?"

"Well counting from the day we started dating, yeah." He chuckles.

I touch his cheeks and run my thumbs over his cheekbones. "I'm sorry I made you wait for so long."

He grins. "It's okay. It was worth waiting. And you know what people say, 'Patience is virtue'."

"Well, aren't you virtuous," I tease him.

"Virtuous equals to victorious, because I have you know," he states, then leans downwards and kisses me again, softly and slowly. He pulls back soon afterwards. "I have something for you." Then he completely pushes away from me, and climbs down the bed.

I balance myself with my elbows supporting me. I see him searching for something in his drawer, his body slouches a little and I can see the muscles of his back rippling every time he moves. How come I've never realized I got such a hot and sexy boyfriend? I smile to myself as I sit up and pull my knees to my chest, wrapping my forearms around them and rest my chin on my arm, watching him seriously.

He then straightens up, and looks at something in his palm. He stays there for a while as if deciding to give it to me or not. He then turns back at me, showing me his naked chest. He sits on the edge of his bed, and scoot closer to him.

"I wanted to give this to you last night, but thanks to your friend-" he tells me.

"Ex-friend, you mean," I cut him off to correct him.

He laughs softly. "Okay, your _ex-friend,_ I didn't have the chance. But now I do." He unclenches his fist, revealing a metal necklace that hangs a silver vine that has a carved shining pearl on it. I shoot my hands to my mouth. My eyes lock at my amazing gift. "I know you're not a jewelry type, but I think I need something that makes you more beautiful. So I asked from a friend in District 4 to send me this pearl and I carve it to the vine myself."

I cock my eyebrow and make a mocking face. "You don't think I'm beautiful enough?"

"You _are_ beautiful. In fact, the most beautiful girl I've ever known." He looks at me with his baby blue eyes. "I just want to give you something that represents me as well."

"You do know I don't need anything that represents you, right?" I tell him. He looks disappointed, but I continue, "Because there's something that represents you to me, and that is my heart." I've never been such a cheesy person, but having Peeta as a boyfriend would turn anyone cheesy. "But I'll accept it anyway, since you got it for me."

With that he flashes a big smile and scoots at the middle of his bed so that he's facing my back. He unclasps the clasp and puts the necklace around my neck. It hangs perfectly on my neck, and then I raise it with my palm as I touch the pearl's smooth surface with my thumb.

"It's very beautiful, Peeta," I gasp. "Thank you."

I feel his arms wound my waist and pull my back against his chest, and I'm in between his legs. His chin rests on my shoulder and he kisses my neck. "You are most welcome, sweetheart," he says, his warm breath fanning my collarbone. "You deserve something as beautiful as you."

I turn to him and cup his jaw to press my lips on his. Butterflies fill my stomach when his lips touch mine. Finding this position isn't that comfortable; I push him so that his back is on the mattress. My hands go down from his jaw, then to his neck, his chest and finally to his hard abs. His hands caress my sides to my waist and stop at my waist as I kiss him harder.

He groans between my lips and I feel satisfied because I can give him this sort of effect. I continue moving my hands back and forth, and suddenly Peeta rolls us over so that he's back on top. His lips leave mine to leave a trail on my bare neck, and I giggle when he touches a certain spot he knows where I'm sensitive the most, and then he pushes the neckline of my shirt a little, just enough to kiss my collarbone. My hands go to his back and finger the swell of his back's muscles. He pulls back to give me a chaste kiss on my lips.

"We should stop," he says. "If we go too far, I don't think we'll be able to stop." I can hear the disappointment in his voice. I do too. But I'm glad he stops us because he knows I can't take the risk of getting pregnant.

"Maybe we should," I say, touching his hair softly.

He smiles, and then moves out off the bed to grab his shirt and puts it on. "How about we watch a movie?" He suggests. I couldn't agree more with the idea spending time with him, but something holds me.

"Are you sure? Won't your family going to check on you?" I ask.

"They're away at my distant relative's place to celebrate Christmas morning with them and they won't come back till tomorrow," he tells me as he searches for movies in his cabinet.

"And you didn't tag along?"

"Well someone needs to stay to look after the bakery. Besides, I need to settle some score with my girlfriend."

I climb down his bed and walk over to him and put my arm around his middle. As much as I want him to spend his time with his family, I'm glad he wants to hang out with me. "Thank you so much for spending your time with me."

He puts his hands on mine and turns around. "I'll do anything for you, Katniss," he promises, cradling my face in his hands. He seals the promise with a kiss.

He then puts on the movie he picked and turns the TV in his room and puts the movie into the DVD player. Before the movie starts, Peeta pauses at the first scene and decides to bake some bread for us to eat while watching the movie. He takes my hand and takes me downstairs. Come to think of it, this is the second time I'm in his living room, and I still need time to get used to it.

He takes me to the kitchen and takes out some bread flour, sugar salt, and a bowl from a cabinet. He then takes out some milk and bread yeast from the refrigerator. I sit on a stool while watching him pour warm water into the bowl and start doing his work. After adding all of the ingredients, he starts to knead the dough with his hands then he puts the dough into the oven, and then continues working on with the rest of it. I continue watching him and I snap from my trance when I hear him laugh softly.

"Come here, Katniss," he says. I obediently do as he says. He takes my hand in his floured one and pulls me forward and he stands behind me so that I'm stuck between his kitchen counter and his body. My hands are on the edge of the counter and he traps me by laying his hands next to both of mine and pushing his body against mine.

"What exactly are you planning to do?" I try to sound serious, looking back at him.

He grins. "I'm teaching you how to bake."

"Peeta, you know I suck in cooking."

"You won't do this alone. I'm here," he convinces me.

I cross my arms and turn away from him. "Fine. Don't blame me if your kitchen gets filled with smoke."

He wraps his arms around my waist and kisses my cheek. "It won't. Now just put your hands into the dough."

I do as he says and feel the wet and soft texture of it. He puts his hands on mine and guides my fingers through the dough. We do this repeatedly and I don't know which one distracts me more; the exciting feeling of making my first bread or the feeling of having Peeta press his body against mine. I feel my cheeks heat up, or maybe my whole body is heating up.

"Does it feel a little dry?" Peeta says, waking me up from my daze.

"I guess so," I answer him, once I feel it does feel heavier than before.

"Then add up some water into it," he tells me.

I reach up for a jug of water beside his arm, and pour it into the dough, washing our hands at the same time.

"It's funny; usually I don't need to add more water. I guess both of our hands increase the temperature of the dough." He continues to whisper in my ear.

"I think you're just imagining it. I guess it must've come from the oven," I lie. I hear him snicker.

"Oh really?" He asks cockily. "I think the heat emerges from your body." I bite my bottom lip to hold the embarrassment I'm feeling.

I slip my hands from and reach out to take a handful of flour in my hand and throw it on his face. I laugh out loud with his surprised that turns challenging and playful soon afterwards.

"Now you've done it," he says with a humorous tone. This time, it's his turn to take a handful of flour and throw it on my face. Soon afterwards, the kitchen is filled with thrown flour, egg shells, and our laughter.

We end the food fight with a truce from Peeta. He takes my arm and pulls me to him and gives me a lingering kiss. His lips taste like the combination of flour and raw egg, which makes me pull apart and make a disgusted face. He laughs at my face and I do the same at his flour-covered one. He then looks at the mess we made in his kitchen and scratches the back of his head.

He makes a troubled face. "Looks like I have to clean this up by tonight," he states.

I walk over to him and hug his torso. "Don't worry. I'll help you," I reassure him.

"You're not going home?"

"Do you want me to?"

"Yes- I mean no! It's just that I don't want your family to get worried," he says logically.

"How about I give them a call and tell them that I'm accompanying you. I mean, you'll be lonely here."

"I'm so lucky to have a considerate girlfriend like you," he says proudly, putting his hands on my waist.

I smile at his compliment. "Okay. Let me borrow your phone."

"It's just in the living room," he gestures the room with his thumb.

I go to the living room and find the phone on the tea table. I dial my house's number and after a few rings, somebody picks it up.

"Hello?" I hear my sister's voice echo.

"Hey, Prim. It's me."

"Katniss? Where are you calling from?"

"I'm at Peeta's place."

"How did things go?" She asks curiously and hopeful.

"We're okay now," I tell her. I hear her sigh in relief. "So Prim, can you call Mother for me? I need to speak with her."

I wait for a moment and then the next voice that appears belongs to Mother. "Hello, Katniss? How are you, dear?"

"I'm doing well, Mother. Peeta and I have settled our problem."

"That's very great. So what are you two doing right now?" She asks in concern just like all mothers should do.

"We were baking bread, and it didn't go well." I hear her joke about my cooking 'skills'. Then I tell her about my plan of staying over at his house.

"Well, it that's the case. You can sleep there," she allows me. "Just as a reminder: no funny business."

I chuckle. "I know, Mother. Don't worry. We're just going to watch a movie and hang out."

"Okay. Have a great night, dear."

I bid goodbye and press the 'end' button. When I return to the kitchen, Peeta has cleaned almost the whole mess. "So, what did your family say?" He stops wiping the milk-stained floor and looks up at me.

I get down on my knees and take the rag from his hand and help him clean the floor. "Of course they'd let me to stay. They trust us, you know. "

"Trust us on what?" He pretends to be oblivious.

"They trust us for not doing, you know, _that_," I say, avoiding from looking at his eyes. He bursts out laughing. "I'm serious, Peeta!"

"I know but they can't expect for me to do _that_ with you, right?"

"Well apparently they do."

He gives my hand a squeeze. "You know I won't do anything that is uncomfortable to you."

"I know and I love you for that."

"Just that?" He cocks his eyebrow.

"No," I say, locking an arm around his neck and ruffle his messy hair. "I love everything about you; your attractive blue eyes, your golden hair, the way how you speak fluently, your soft hands, everything."

He kisses me for the hundredth time today and pulls back just to reply, "I love everything about you too, Katniss. Your brown hair whether it's braided or loose, your olive-brown skin, your mesmerizing grey eyes, your hunting skills. There are just too much about you that I love. It may take a while to mention every one of them."

My heart beats like a drum that has no rhythm. I don't know what else to say, I simply lean in and kiss him again, harder this time. Peeta purposely leans his back so that it lies on the floor and I follow him. Our hands find each other like the movement of our lips. Our kissing session gets interrupted when there's a 'ding' sound come from the oven.

"We better get the bread out of the oven," I say, getting off him.

He pouts but gets up anyway. "You owe me a kiss," he warns me. And I'm willing to give him anytime he wants. He puts on oven gloves and takes out the fresh baked bread into a tray. I take a sniff of the heavenly scent and my mouth instantly waters. He keeps a space between us playfully. "Where's my kiss?"

I grant his wish. "Okay. You can take them upstairs and wait for me. I'm going to wash the sink for a while."

I do as he says and take the tray to his room. I lie on his bed and put the tray in the middle of his bed. While waiting for him, I observe his room; air-conditioned, white-painted wall, a television and DVD player, large closer and drawer, and a set of paint with canvas. I expect boys' room would be untidy but Peeta's an exception.

Then I hear the door close. Peeta walks to the DVD player and hit 'play', and then I feel the mattress sink a little for bearing his weight. We curl next to each other on his bed and eat the bread while watching the movie start. After two hours, the movie ends and none of us make any effort to move. We're too comfortable to break the moment. He puts the tray on his nightstand, and then we stay there talking whatever we have in our mind.

I realize it's already quite late and I want to take a shower but hesitate because I don't have a change of clothes. He lets me borrow his T-shirt that covers my body till my mid thigh when I put it on. I pull out my necklace from his shirt so that it does its job as a displaying accessory. He changes to a white shirt and a pair of boxers. We climb back to his bed and he kisses my forehead.

"Goodnight, Katniss. I love you," he reminds me.

I smile as I look at my shining necklace before closing my eyes. "I love you too."

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**Oh my God. That took like hours to finish it. I gotta tell you guys that the speed of this story's update would get a bit slower since I'm working on my new story 'Love at the beach' at the same time. Do please read the story and send some reviews. Thanks.**


	29. Special chapter part 1: Seth Biers

**Hey guys, this is part 1 of a special chapter from Seth's point of view. I did mention in several chapters ago that I dislike changing point of views, but I think that you need to see how he views the world and understand his concern for Katniss and Peeta. And maybe you can learn a tiny bit of his past and who he really is.**

**I hope you read my other story 'Love at the beach' and enjoyed it. Anyway the story starts here. Enjoy.**

**P.S: Here's some helpful guide for the names Seth uses to call the characters:**

**Kat- Katniss  
****Peet- Peeta  
****Rose- Primrose  
****Mads- Madge**

**Seth POV**

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I know a new day has started when I hear the sound of birds chirping outside Kat's house. I sit up on one of the couches in the house and believe me sleeping on a couch isn't the best spot to sleep on and the ache on my back proves it. Wonder why I'm at her house? Well, yesterday she took off to Peet's house like a tornado and left Mads and me at her house. And that's when Mrs. Everdeen asked us to make ourselves at home. And knowing that they might need some privacy, she asked me to stay for the night. The Everdeens, Mads and I spent almost the whole day in the living room, I was sitting on the floor, finding it more comfortable than on the couch since I could stretch my legs, while Mrs. Everdeen sat on the main couch and Rose and Mads sat next to each other on the long couch. We were talking whatever we had in mind and finally we ended up talking about Kat and Peet by afternoon.

"What do you think they're actually doing right now?" Prim wondered, and then tried to hide her giggle.

"Well I guess they're having a good time as we talk right now," Mads said, giggling as well. "Maybe they're at the Town Square and have a date or something like that."

"I just hope they know what their doing," Mrs Everdeen sighed apprehensively, fidgeting her thumbs.

"Come on, Mrs. Everdeen. You know Kat's a big girl. I'm sure she won't do whatever you're thinking. And Peet's a good guy, he won't do anything to her," I promised her calmly.

"I know but as a mother I can't stop worrying about my daughter's safety."

"She's been taking care of herself and her family for years now, she'll be fine."

Rose joined me and held her mother's hands with her smaller ones, "Don't worry, Mother. Katniss is tough; you know that, don't you?"

Mrs. Everdeen sighed, "I guess you're right."

And that's when their phone rang, startling all of us. Rose stood up from the couch and picked it up.

"Hello?" She said melodically.

I didn't have to ask who it was because with my sharp sense of hearing, I could hear an enthusiastic voice of Kat and I'm glad to hear it. "Hey, Prim. It's me," she said.

"Katniss? Where are you calling from?" Rose asked, just being curious.

"I'm at Peeta's place." I heard she said. Duh.

"How did things go?" She asked, he voice hinted some hope.

I didn't need to hear the rest of the conversation until Rose handed the phone to Mrs. Everdeen. I looked back at her and wondered what's up. Then I heard something about she and Peet were baking and it didn't end up well. I snickered and took a sip of my orange juice.

"You're going to sleep at his house?" Mrs. Everdeen said with shock, neither as a question or a statement.

I coughed up my drink. Well that wasn't surprising, actually since I knew his family was out of town. I just found it a bit… odd for Kat because she's not used to be too close with anyone. After knowing her for a month, I learned she's quite… pure. If she heard this, she might as well shoot me with one of her arrows. Rose then handed me a tissue to wipe my soaked clothes.

"Well, if that's the case. You can sleep there," she said with a bit worried voice. Then she warned her, "Just as a reminder: no funny business." If you know what I mean, I added mentally with a joking smile on my face.

I heard her promise to her mother with a chuckle. Then Mrs. Everdeen bid goodbye and put the phone down.

"Is she going to stay at Peeta's house?" Rose asked, kneeling on the couch, facing her behind the back of the couch.

"I think so," said her mother, looking more worried as she walked back to us.

"Mrs. Everdeen, I think you should put more faith on them. They may be teenagers, but they think quite more matured than any other teenagers," Mads said.

"Looks like I have no choice but agree with all of you," she finally said.

I continued to sip my drink in satisfaction, and then she gasped, "Oh my. It's almost dinner time. I should start making dinner." Then she moved into the kitchen with Rose following right behind her.

"I'll help if you don't mind," Mads volunteered.

"But you're our guest," she declined.

"Oh, don't worry. I always do this with my cook at home," she insisted.

With that Mrs. Everdeen couldn't do anything but to agree. I was then left alone in the living room. I took this opportunity to roam around and looked at the photos on the fireplace. There were only three photos; a picture of the whole family, a picture of Rose and her mother and lastly a picture of Kat wearing her hunting clothes.

I grabbed the picture of the whole family from the fireplace and observed it. In the picture I saw Kat and Rose's dad; a middle-aged man with a dark, tidy moustache around his mouth, wearing a flannel shirt over a grey shirt and a pair of baggy jeans tucked in hunting boots. He had his arm around Mrs. Everdeen who looked slightly younger while his other hand was lying on a young Kat's shoulder. Rose was standing next to her, she held a bouquet of primroses in her hands and on her shoulder was Mrs. Everdeen's hand.

From this photo, I was seeing a happy, peaceful family surrounded with so much love that I could almost felt it by just looking at it. Family. That's something that I was missing for a long time. I sighed and put back the picture to its original spot.

"Missing your family?" asked a voice behind me.

I turned around and noticed Mrs. Everdeen with her arms wrapped around herself. She walked to stand next to me, gazing at the pictures in front of her. "I've missed mine as well," she admitted. "The family in the photo, I've missed it. I mean I love my family right now. It's just that I wish Katniss would be as happy as she used to be," she continued. "Before my husband passed away, Katniss used to be as sweet as she looked in the picture. I think it was my fault that I wasn't there for her all these years." The guilt was clear in her voice. "She had to bear all the pain and the responsibilities, but in fact I was the one who should bear them."

"You know it's not too late, right?" I said. "You can still do your duty as a mother."

She looked at me with question in her eyes.

"You're still here, that's all that matters. At least you didn't leave them on their own. All they ask for is that you to be alive with them," I continued. "Kat may not look like it, but she's hoping for you to share the responsibilities with her."

She smiled and wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"And she's happy, you know. If you compared the old Kat before she met Peet and the new Kat, you can tell difference."

"Yes, I can," she muttered. "Thank you, Seth."

I looked at her, puzzled.

"Thank you so much for looking after my daughter," she told me and took my hands, and warmth radiated from her hands. I looked at our linked hands. It felt… motherly. "I have the feeling that without you in her life, Katniss and Peeta's relationship wouldn't really work out."

I felt myself blush from the compliment. I looked down to the floor and scratched the back of my head. "Well, I'm just doing what a friend would do."

"You are a special friend, Seth."

This time it was my turn to say it. "Thank you, Mrs. Everdeen."

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**Hope you liked that and Seth will reveal a little bit of his family in the next chapter. By the way, just in case you won't get bored too soon, Peeniss will return in the next chapter as well. I'm not expecting much from this chapter actually but, reviews make me smile.**


	30. Special chapter part 2: Our cupid

**So, so sorry to make you guys wait. I was quite busy with family reunions, a girls' day out and a fever. I hardly had the time to update the story. I'll try to find some time to update. But here's chapter 30, hope you like it.**

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**Seth POV**

After a delicious dinner, I had to send Mads home 'cuz it was pretty dark and I didn't want to let her go there all alone. We were walking side by side. My hands are inside my winter coat pockets to keep them warm since I didn't have gloves. Mads had her arms wrapped around herself to conserve heat. Along the way she was quite silent though she looked as if she wanted to say something but was hesitant to say it.

"You know, if you have something to say, you can share it with me," I said, my voice a bit muffled because of my scarf.

She fidgeted her thumbs and lowered her head as if what she wanted to say was embarrassing. "Um…' she started. "I was wondering, why are you helping Katniss and Peeta so much? I mean, I know helping is good, but you just knew them like a month ago and you act as if you knew them for a long time."

Oh. So that was what she was thinking. I huff and my breath from my mouth vaporized. This question again, huh?

"Well, y-you don't have to answer of course," she stammered. "I was just being curious."

"Honestly to say, I don't know," I told her straightforwardly. "At first I was simply trying to make Kat realize how Peet cared for her because he's my friend. And somehow I started to care for the both of them. That's when I noticed that they feel happy the most when they're together."

"So that's why you'd do anything to make sure they're together?" Mads continued.

"Yup."

She released a relieved breath. "Wow. I thought that would take quite a while to explain. But you didn't even take 10 minutes."

"I'm not exactly the type who does things because of reasons. I'm more like the type of guy who does things that I think right," I told her truthfully.

"Would you do the same for me?" She asked curiously.

"You're my friend," I stated. "So of course I'll do anything to help any of your problems."

She gave a smile. "Thank you Seth. I'm glad Katniss and Peeta have such a great friend like you."

I tried to hide my blush by ruffling her hair so that her head was lowered a little. "Stop flattering me. You're making me blush," I said with a sense of humor.

We continued our way telling jokes and laughing, and eventually we got to her house safely. I was actually glad that I accompanied her because along the way, thanks to my eyesight I saw some nasty looking men hiding behind houses and locked their eyes on her. To freak them out, I glared at them and flashed my fangs, and with that they backed away to total darkness. We bid farewell to each other and after she closed her door, I made my way back to the Everdeen's house.

When I closed the door, Mrs. Everdeen was putting a pillow and a blanket on their couch. It looked comfy enough to sleep on.

"I'm sorry, Seth we don't have anymore mattress so is it okay for you to sleep on the couch? I don't think Katniss would be pleased if she finds out that her room was occupied without her permission," she said.

"It's okay," I assured her. "Seriously, letting me stay for the night is generous enough. And besides if there's any thief tries to break in to the house, I'd catch him the moment he steps in," I said jokingly.

"That's nice of you. But I'm sure there won't be any. I haven't heard about thievery for a long time."

"It's just as a precaution, Mrs. Everdeen. We don't know what'll happen," I insisted.

"If you say so," she gave up. "Well then, goodnight Seth." She walked toward the stairs and slowly disappeared.

"Goodnight," I whispered.

Then I went over to the couch and slumped down on it. It wasn't so bad but I knew the feeling wouldn't last long. I laid my head on the pillow and spread the blanket so that it covered me from my toes to my torso.

Alone in the living room, the only thing I heard was the sound of the raging flame in the fireplace. Thanks to it, I wasn't feeling that cold. I closed my eyes that used to gaze on the ceiling when they were open, and relived the events of the days I had when I lived with my family in a castle in Romania.

My family consists of my father, mother and older brother, Rath. You might as well be guessing how old I am, you'll be surprised if I tell you that I'm actually 119 years old. Yeah for vampires, I'm still considered as a 19-year old teenager. My family is one of the covens left in this world and we live very far away from human residence. This might sound ridiculous, but my family is like a royal family because other vampires that lived in Romania are under my father's rule. So you can say that's I'm sort of like a prince, along with my brother. I forgot to tell that the royal family members are a bit special from other vampires, we are daylighters, which means we can walk under the sunlight. I don't know how we gained this ability but with this, we can study the movements of our people in case they tried to do hunt humans in the morning.

Believe me, us vampires don't harm the people who live close to us. My father doesn't want to cause an eternal conflict between us and humans. So he ordered for our people to only feed on animal blood, but feeding on humans is allowed but only in certain limits. I was 109 years old when I was told that the coronation ceremony was about to happen.

To tell you the truth I'm not so interested with this ruling our subjects and stuff like that. Rath, on the other hand really wanted to claim the throne. And one day our parents summoned us and told us that they decided to let us rule the vampires together. I thought he would get mad about that, instead he was glad that we could rule together. I, on the other hand, had planned to escape from the castle when I learned that if I was to be chosen, I would lose all of my freedom and I would be stuck with my duty as the new ruler.

The morning after the declaration, I escaped from the castle. I traveled to different countries after that, and I haven't regretted leaving ever since then. Instead, I'm glad I did because in ten years of running away, I learned lots of things in the outside world and I have limitless freedom. From all of my travels I met different kind of people and gained lots of experience. And thanks to my getaway as well that Peet and Kat met me.

Not long after that, my eyes started to feel heavy, I drifted to a long sleep.

So that's how things went on my first night at the Everdeen's. I rise from the couch and stretch my arms and body. I then fold the blanket and arrange it neatly on the blanket and move towards the front door and open it. The cold wind of winter morning immediately touches my skin and despite that I'm a vampire, I find myself shivering a little. I close the door behind me and walk over to the railing on the porch and sit on it.

My legs dangle forward and my elbows are resting on my knees as I lean forward. I have the feeling Kat will be back soon because Peet's family will return soon and I want to welcome her. My eyes keep on staring at the road that leads to the house and then speaking of the devils here they come.

Both of them are walking side by side and between their bodies are their linked hands and they have a smile on their faces. Even looking them from my spot can determine how happy they are together. Sometimes I feel like I'm some kind of parent who wants to see his child to be happy. I chuckle at myself from the thought. What the hell am I thinking? Maybe I care too much about that that I develop this level of concern.

They haven't realized that I'm watching them. So when they're near to the house, I say, "Yo. Had fun?"

Kat gasps and I laugh at her surprised face. She puts a hand on her heart, looking relieved to see me. "Oh Seth, it's just you. What are you doing here?"

"Your mom asked me to stay last night," I tell her.

"You had a sleepover at her house? Lucky you," Peet says jokingly and she nudges her shoulder against his.

"Wait. Where did you sleep? Don't tell me-" Kat starts but I raise a hand to stop her.

"Don't worry, I didn't sleep in your room. I crashed on the couch."

"You better be. I don't like when a guy sleeps on my bed," she says with a scowl.

"Does that include me?" Peet asks, pretending to look hurt. I laugh.

She holds his arm and makes a somewhat cute face. "Of course not. You have a special invitation."

I decide to tease her a little. "Whoa. You're letting him get onto your bed? Your mom wouldn't really like that."

She glares at me. "Just to sleep or hang out, all right? Nothing else."

Peet and I burst out laughing after that. "You know, Seth. Katniss and I were talking about you last night."

That catches my attention. "You did?"

"Yeah. We were talking about you being so supportive and kind to us. Especially about you provided so much for us," Kat continues for him.

"Really? And what else?"

"We were also kind of thinking what you really are."

"You once told me that you're not a human."

I scratch the back of my head. "You really want to know what I am?" They nod. "I'm a vampire," I say boldly. They stare at me with confusion and shock. "Surprised that I'm a vampire? Yeah you might as well think that this might be some kind of joke but this is real. I may be a vampire that drinks blood, but I don't usually drink human blood. If I do drink human blood, I'd quickly recover them."

Peet clears his throat. "Well that should explain your fangs and your allergy to garlic."

"I don't know much about vampires, but I thought vampires only go out at night," Kat mutters.

"Ah," I say. "You see, I'm kind of a bit different than other vampires."

We go silent for a while, waiting until they fully understand. "Well that didn't take a long time to uncover the truth," he says.

"What did you expect? A three-hour storytelling?" I say with a grin.

We laugh together and the door opens, and a sleepy looking Rose comes out from the house. She cheerfully greets her sister, "Hey Katniss. Welcome home."

Kat walks towards the house and hugs her. "Hey, little duck. I'm back." Then Mrs. Everdeen comes out with her robe and hugs her as well.

I look at them with content and I don't realize that Peet is standing next to me until I hear him say, "You stayed because you wanted to look after her family for her, right?"

I honestly add, "And I didn't want to interrupt you guys. I had the feeling you needed some private time."

"Thanks," he says. "You know, you may be a vampire. But last night Katniss and I guessed what you are."

"What is that?" I ask curiously.

"That you are our personal cupid."

I make a 'pfft' sound. "What the hell? I don't wear some white piece of cloth or have a halo on my head," I say, making a circular motion above my head and my mouth forms a shy grin even though I try not to.

Even though I say that, I know deep in my heart I kind of like the sound of it.

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**I hope this chapter is okay to you, it's very difficult to write this down and I really really hope you like it, I know this one sound so supernatural and out of the Hunger Games' logic. But that's how it is, Seth is a vampire who sometimes feed on human and he has no bad intentions. Deal with it. I'm sorry if you don't agree with me. Once again, I don't really expect much from this chapter, but reviews make me smile.**

**P.S. Katniss POV returns starting chapter 31.**


	31. Confrontation

**So sorry for the delay, everyone. I've told my excuse in my other story so please don't make me repeat it. Anyway, school holiday is almost over and this story is like 3/4 complete, and I'll be having my very big exam soon so I won't be having much time to spend on my laptop. Hope you like this chapter :)**

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**We're back to Katniss' POV**

After Peeta takes me home, he stays for a while to spend some time with my family. An unusual happy environment that rarely happens fills the living room. Peeta and I are sitting on the long couch with Prim next to me. Seth is sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of us as he tells us his adventures he had in other countries. Mother serves us tea and some cookies that Peeta baked.

I'm happy that we're all having such a good time. But something makes me feel it's not perfect yet. Something is missing. And it's Gale. I know I shouldn't think like this, but I've known him for so long. Despite the despicable thing he did to me and Peeta, he's still my best friend, my hunting partner, my brother. And I want him to be here and feel this happiness I'm feeling too.

Peeta seems to realize that something is wrong because of my silence. He squeezes my hand that is lying on my lap. "Something wrong?"

I shake my head. "It's nothing."

He cups my cheek and makes me look at him straight in the eyes. "Don't lie to me, Katniss. Please tell what's wrong. Maybe I can help."

How can I say no to those shiny blue eyes that make me reveal anything that I have in my mind? "I just feel that something is missing," I confess.

He looks at me for a long time. "It's Gale, right?"

Damn it! How can he read me so easily? I can't blame because lately I've been so open to everyone, especially him. All this boyfriend and girlfriend stuff can really change people, even stubborn ones like me.

I sigh. "Yeah. I wonder what he's doing right now."

I know I said to Peeta that Gale's my ex-friend, but it makes me feel so uneasy to think that my best friend has changed to Peeta's rival to seek for my attention. Why do I have to choose between the boy who saved my life and my friend who I spent almost most of my life with? Though I have chosen Peeta, and I'm glad I made that decision because I feel happier more than I though I could but why can't he accept it and be my friend like old times? The next thing that Peeta says breaks my train of thought.

"You should see and talk to him," he says with a straight face.

I jump a little on the couch and look intently at him, shocked. "What?" I practically yell. I notice Seth has stopped talking and he, Prim and Mother are staring at us. His eyes gaze to the kitchen in a split second and I immediately understand what he means.

"Peeta, we need to talk in the kitchen," I say.

But I don't wait for him to reply. I take his hand and pull him in to the kitchen.

"Why did you say that?" I ask him.

"You need to settle things with him, Katniss. He's your friend for years, and I know you don't want to break the bond you two have."

"But he started it. He should feel bad about it," I insist.

"Is that what you really think?" He asks me, never breaking our eye contact.

I bite my bottom lip and fall silent for a while. No, it's not as. As much as how I'm still mad at him, I can't keep on pushing him away. So I shake my head gently.

"Okay, I'll go and talk to him. But under one condition," I pause.

"What is that?"

"You must come with me."

"I don't think that's a good idea," he disagrees, rubbing the back of his neck.

"If he needs to understand, you should be there too," I tell him reasonably.

He sighs in defeat. "Okay, then. But I can't promise that there won't be any fist fight."

I laugh softly and wrap my arms around his neck and give him a lingering kiss, and then smiles against his lips. "There won't be any fist fight," I whisper. "Besides, if he even tries to hit you, he has to go through me," I say while playing with the root of his hair at the back of his neck.

"My God, my girlfriend is really awesome. So, when should we go to his house?"

With so much confidence, I answer, "Now."

We exit the kitchen together and without explaining where we're going to my family and Seth, we grab our coats and leave the house. The journey to Gale's house isn't that far, we only walk pass a few houses and then we arrive to a house that is no different than mine except for the wall's lighter colour. We step on the porch and finally we stand in front of the door. I nervously raise a hand while the other clutches Peeta's tightly, seeking for courage, and then I give the door a light knock.

A few minutes later, Gale's mother, Hazelle opens the door with a surprised look that changes into a soft smile.

She has a dark hair like most of us from the Seam and has a fairer skin than mine. She's wearing an old, brown dress that fits her thin, yet strong form and a white apron. I can tell that she's in the middle of preparing lunch because I can smell the scent of cooked rabbit. I like her, she's the strongest woman I've ever known, who raised her children all by herself after her husband's death.

"Hi, Hazelle. How are you?" I say. "I hope we're not interrupting."

"Hello, Katniss. It's been a while. No, of course you're not. Come on in." She gestures us to go inside her house.

It has really been a while since I came to this place. I think it was spring when I came to eat dinner with Gale's family.

"Where are Rory, Vick and Posy?" I ask, looking at the living room and then the kitchen.

"Oh Rory and Vick are playing snow fight with their friends at the park. And sweet little Posy is sleeping soundly in her room."

I nod. My hand is still holding Peeta's who is standing right behind me. I turn to him. "I should introduce to you Hazelle, the strongest woman I've ever known."

"Oh stop it, Katniss. I'm only doing my job as a mother," Hazelle says shyly.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Hawthorne," he murmurs politely after he steps forward, offering his hand. "I'm Peeta Mellark."

"The pleasure is all mine, Peeta," she replies as she shakes his hand. "Is there any particular reason why you came?"

I tell her straightforwardly, "We're here to see Gale. Is he here?"

She wipes her hands with an old apron that is wrapped around her waist. "He went to the shop to buy some stuff. He should be heading home by now. Why don't you wait for him in the living room?" Then she takes us to her living room which is almost identical to mine except that the furniture is in different positions.

"I'll make some tea. Make yourselves at home."

Peeta and I take a seat beside each other on one of her couches. I still feel nervous while waiting for Gale's return. My hands can't stop from fidgeting, but somehow Peeta manages to keep himself relax. His face is free from any emotions. He takes my hand and gives a gentle squeeze.

"Relax, Katniss. You're making me nervous every time you shake your legs," he murmurs softly. I now notice I've been shaking my legs for a while.

"How can you feel so calm? What if Gale won't accept it? What if he tries to separate us again?" I chatter.

"And that's why we're here. To make him understand," he reasons, his voice harder.

"But what if he doesn't want to understand?"

"He will if he really loves you. If he loves you, he should want to see you happy, no matter whoever you're happy with."

"Will you?" I ask out of the blue.

"What?" He asks with a perplexed expression.

"Will you do that for me if you were him?"

His head lowers and his eyes fall to our linked hands and he rubs the back of my hand tenderly with his thumb. "Of course I would," he admits with a whisper. "Honestly, I understand what he's feeling right now. Defeated by a guy who has feelings for the girl that I love, and feeling that I won't get a chance to be near to you anymore. I really know how it feels like," he continues, still looking at our hands. Although he's just whispering, I can hear the pain in his voice.

"Is that how you felt whenever you saw me and Gale together?"

"Every single time."

"Oh Peeta. I'm so sorry," I murmur softly, trying to soothe the pain he felt for years and put my other hand on his. I wish I could turn back time and make myself notice him sooner.

He raises his head back so that he locks his gaze on me. He gives me an honest smile. "It's not your fault, Katniss. It was me. I was a coward who was too scared to approach you and confess to you."

I want to argue but with his free hand he cups my cheek and our eyes meet again, blue on grey. "But when I see how happy and comfortable you were with Gale. I knew I didn't have a chance. I almost gave up on you, Katniss."

Curious, I ask. "Then what made you make a move to talk to me during our class?"

"After my father and Patrick learnt that I wanted to let you go, they convinced me to at least try to get know you." He snickers. "You wouldn't believe how long it took for them just to talk to me about it. And then a week before I started talking to you, I decided I shouldn't give up without trying. And look what happened."

"I get to fall in love with you," I help him carry on.

"And I get to fall in love with you more," he mutters with confidence.

He leans forward and I do the same to press my lips against his. But we pull away from each other when the door suddenly opens and Gale comes in.

"Catnip?" He says when he sees us on his couch.

His eyes flick to Peeta, and he greets him sternly. "Peter."

Son of a bitch. Now I'm getting more nervous and scared than ever.

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**So… what do you think? Tell me if you liked the cliffhanger. What do you think will happen? Will Gale accept their relationship, or the other way around?**

**And now here's a random yet important question, who do you guys think Madge should end up with? Cuz I received some PMs that they want her to end up with Seth. I'm trying to keep the story a bit original as much as I can so please tell me what you think ASAP. **

**And by the way, Merry Christmas! Reviews make me smile.**


	32. Negotiation and fist fight

**I know, I've made you wait for so long for this chapter and I really want to apologize for that. I'm gonna have a very big exam in a few months so I have to do lots of studying. Finding the time to update the story would be very difficult in my tight schedule, especially with the tons of assignments. But I'll try my best to update as frequent as possible. Now on to the story!**

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The three of us sit in a very awkward silence and my legs tap on the wooden floor in a faster pace nervously. Gale glares at the both of us even though Peeta makes a space between us to ease his anger. Neither of us tries to say anything for a long while. Even the tea that Hazelle made for us has gone cold. I'm glad she excused herself upstairs, knowing that something serious is going on right now. I decide to start since this was my idea to talk to Gale.

But I get interrupted when Gale starts, "Why did you come here?" He doesn't mean to make it sound rude, but I can hear poison in his voice.

"Look, we're not here to make any trouble," Peeta says before I do.

"I'm not talking to you, Mellark. I'm asking Catnip," he retorts.

I feel myself fume with anger with his attitude. Peeta's just trying to be polite but why does he have to treat him so badly? "You know what, Gale? Maybe we shouldn't have come here in the first place if you're acting like this."

I start to stand but a firm but yet gentle hand that I know belongs to Peeta circles my wrist and holds me there. I look at him and he gives me a shake of his head.

"Katniss, calm down," he soothes me with a tender stroke of his thumb on the back of my hand.

He's right. It was me who planned this, so I need to get on with it and get this thing over with. I take a deep breath and return to my seat.

"Catnip?" Gale asks his voice gentler now.

_It's now or never, Katniss,_ I think. "We're here to talk about my relationship with Peeta."

Rage burns in his eyes and I hear him inhale sharply. I cut him before he can even say something. "And I want to talk about you and me."

That calms him down a little. "I'm only interested with the second part."

"We'll get to that part after I talk about Peeta and me," I insist.

He crosses his arm, a gesture that you wouldn't want to see from him because it means trouble. "You two are so in love and inseparable, I get it. Now can we start about you and me?"

For years I've known him, I've never seen him act like this. Yes, he has a short temper but looking at a jealous Gale is another thing.

I sigh, "Fine."

"But I want to discuss about it just the two of us," he adds.

"That's not necessary!" I exclaim. A part of says that what I said is a stupid thing. I can't let him listen to a conversation about me and Gale, it makes me feel guilty. But the other selfish part of me says that I can't do this alone without Peeta.

There's a gentle, reassuring squeeze on my hand.

"It's okay, Katniss. I can wait outside if you want," Peeta suggests with a small smile, obviously he doesn't want to leave me here with Gale but he knows we need to agree with his conditions.

When he stands up, he warns Gale with a low and hostile voice, much to my surprise.

"Just because I'm out of this house, that doesn't mean that I'm leaving. So don't even try to do anything to her."

Gale replies angrily, "Shut up and get out of here, Mellark."

I give him a nod. I know I shouldn't do this but I put my hands on his cheeks, stand on my tiptoes and press my lips against his. He's hesitant at first but finally he puts his hand on my waist to pull me closer and kisses me back. I hear Gale annoyingly exhales a sigh.

After two seconds, we pull apart and Peeta walks to the door and closes it behind him.

"Do you really have to do that in front of me?" Gale asks angrily.

I cross my arms. "What? Can't I kiss my boyfriend in front of my best friend?"

"Catnip," he says. "You know how feel about you, right?"

"And you know that I don't feel the same way towards you."

"But, why? Among all people, why does it to have to be him?"

I tell him with a blank face. Honestly, I don't know either. I look down to the floor and try to find the reason how come I fell in love with Peeta. Maybe it's because of his selflessness, his talents of making bread and painting, his sparkling blue eyes, the golden colour of his hair, the way his smile makes me want to blush or how his lips always make my body feel like jelly whenever he kisses me.

"But none of it matters now, Gale. I love him just for the way he is."

"Maybe it's because he's from the Merchant," he says.

I raise my head and look at him bewildered with his accusation.

"What?" I exclaim. "No, that's not it-" But he stops my sentence when he grabs my shoulders with his large hands and pulls me to him.

"It must because of his money, right? He paid you to be his girlfriend, right?"

"No! That's not it!" I push his arms away but he comes back to pull my arms.

"Or maybe because you're tired of taking care of your family on your own," he continues persistently.

"I would never-!"

"You want to use his money to lessen your burden."

"I'm not using his money!" I yell as his grips starts getting painful. "And my family is not a burden!"

"If you need someone to help you, I'm here. We can help support each other," he says with a determined voice.

"Gale. Let go of me!" I snap, knowing that I can't simply get his grip off me with my strength.

"You don't need him, Catnip. You need me!" He then pushes me to the couch and I wriggle hopelessly under him.

"Help! Peeta!" I cry. "Peeta!"

The door bursts open and I see Peeta looking at us with wide opened eyes, his eyes flare with naked anger in them.

"Get off her, you bastard!" He shouts, running towards Gale and pulls on the back of his shirt and jerks him off me to the table. There's a loud crash from the impact and I'm not surprised if Hazelle is going to come down in any minute.

Peeta helps me sit up and examine my arms carefully. I see there are bruises that Gale caused. His eyebrows knit and he forms an angry look as he grits his teeth with the sight.

"You get out of here, Mellark. We're not finished yet," Gale starts as he stands up. "You hear me-?!"

In a swift, Peeta moves away from the couch and tackles Gale back on to the floor by pushing on his torso and another crash erupts. He raises his tight fist and it connects with Gale's cheek. And then his other fist hits his other cheek while Gale tries as hard as he can to push him away.

"How dare you hurt her!" He shouts, giving him another blow.

I don't know if it's just me, but I think I hear a cracking sound. I know that Peeta's strong because he used to wrestle but not as strong as this. I've never seen him in such rage that he's attacking like a mad man. I can't help but feel a little frightened with this side of Peeta, so I'm lying pathetically on the couch, looking at them brawling like a weak child.

Fear strikes me when Gale manages to turn Peeta upside down and now he has Peeta in a deadly neck lock as he straddles his body from the back.

"You think you have the chance to beat?" Gale growls. "You're just a fragile, little baker." He raises his fists and punches Peeta repeated on the face.

Peeta can only make a muffled and groaning sound. I know he's in pain because I can feel it too. I've seen him do this to a wolf before and it was enough to kill it.

"Stop," I whimper. It's so soft that neither of them can listen to me. Finally I manage to cry, "Stop!"

I manage to regain my feet's strength and push myself towards between them. I put my hands on Gale's forearms and I know how hard he holds Peeta because I can feel the stiffness of his muscles.

"Let go him!" I shout at him but he doesn't.

His eyes are locked on Peeta and I believe he doesn't even notice that I'm here which is good because he won't expect an attack from me.

With all of my strength, I tackle his shoulder with my own. He releases his hold on Peeta as he tumbles on the floor with a groan and then shuts up when he looks up at me. He has a surprised look on his face.

Peeta coughs and holds his throat with his right hand as he tries to stand with his left hand pushing on the floor. I kneel down to him and examine his bloody face. His lower lip has a cut and his nose seems to be broken, and blood runs down from his mouth his chin. His cheeks and eyes start to bruise.

"Peeta, are you okay?" I croak.

"What is going on here?" I hear Hazelle's shaking voice coming from the stairs.

She stares at us with wide eyes and her hands are covering her mouth with this ugly sight. I see little Posy standing shakily behind her mother, holding onto her gown's skirt. She looks like she wants to cry seeing her big brother lying on the floor with wounds on his face.

"Katniss," she calls me. "Tell me. What happened?"

I stammer, "I-I…"

"It's not her fault, mother. Or Peeta's. I started it." Gale shocks Peeta and me with his confession. "We had a wonderful chat until I lost control."

"Is that true?" She demands with a strong voice.

He nods as we sit quietly.

She sighs heavily. "If that's true then, I'm so sorry to say this Katniss, but please leave now with Peeta," she says. "I'm not asking you to leave because I want you to. It's just I think I need some time to talk to my son. And I think you need to take care of his injuries," she explains.

I nod. "Okay." I hold on Peeta's arm and torso while helping him stand. "Thank you, Hazelle."

Peeta murmurs, "I'm so sorry for the mess, Mrs. Hawthorne."

She shakes her head with a forgiving smile. "It's all right, Peeta. I'll handle it."

That's another reason why I look up to Hazelle. She's so kind and forgiving, but I doubt I can be forgiving like her.

We walk towards the door and leave the house. We arrive at Peeta's house and I immediately check on the wounds on his face.

"How bad am I, Nurse Everdeen?" He jokes.

"How can you still be joking like this, Peeta?" I ask.

"I don't see it's that serious," he says.

"He just gave you a beating! Bad ones, to be exact!"

"It doesn't matter to me. What matters to me is that he hurt you," he replies and takes one of my bruised arms.

He traces Gale's finger marks slowly with his fingertips.

"Do they hurt?" He asks.

I shake my head.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left if I knew this would've happened," he says with a guilty look on his face.

I grab his face with both of my on either side of his cheeks and make him look at me. I hate to see him look like this. That he's entirely at fault.

"It's not your fault," I murmur as soft as I can no matter how angry I am at Gale right now. "You were just doing what you thought was right. It was my fault to think of this stupid idea of talking to him."

He puts a finger on my lips and shushes me. "It wasn't your fault either. You just wanted to make sure he understands our relationship. Only that his response wasn't the way we expected."

I snort. "I guess so." I start to apply some medicine on his bruises, hopefully they'll be gone by tomorrow. And thank God he didn't break his nose. I give him some sleep medicine to help him rest.

"What are you going to tell your family about this?" I ask.

"I'll tell them that some thief tries to steal some bread and I fought him," he replies.

I look at him doubtfully. "Do you think they'll fall for that?"

"I don't know. I actually doubt they'd ask."

I stare at him for a while. Poor Peeta. Why does a kind person like him would have a family that doesn't really concern him? I know that Mr. Mellark and Patrick do concern for him, but his mother and Peter don't really care for him as they do.

I kiss every wound on his face in attempt to make him feel better. I hear people from school say it's something like 'kiss them better'.

I guess it worked because he starts to smile like the usual time. He grabs my face and kisses me softly on the lips.

"Thanks for the medicine, Nurse Everdeen," he teases with heavy eyelids when the medicine's effect start to come.

"You're welcome. Now get some rest before your family arrives, Peeta."

His lips form a mischievous smile. "Only if you stay with me." I chuckle.

We walk over to the couch and he lies on it with his head resting on my lap. For a few minutes, I stroke his messed up hair smoothly while he smiles up to me until his eyes finally drop and sleep takes over.

Knowing that letting his mother see me when they get home won't be such a good idea, I take a pillow from the couch and use it to lay his head on it. Very quietly, I sneak up to the door and close it behind me.

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**I hope you're okay with the fighting scene since that was my first one. I'm working on the next chapter which is another special one, because it's about Madge and Seth! I will make it fast so stay tuned for more. Reviews make me smile.**


	33. Special chapter: I'm sorry

**Yo what's up guys? Today we have another special chapter and it's about Seth and Madge. *squeal excitedly* This chapter is also in a third person's point of view so it's easier to describe both of the characters' feelings. Hope you like it.**

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**Third person's POV**

It's Sunday and a day free of school. In fact, it's three days before the Winter Dance. Madge is sitting with her legs folded under her butt in her large room, looking and admiring the beautiful design of her silky dress for the event that she has been waiting for. After scanning through the piece of cloth, she lays it on her lap, crumpling the dress, and sighs.

"Should I ask him? Or should I wait for him to ask me?" She wonders to herself. At one moment she's glad to know that the school allows anyone outside their school to participate in the school event.

She knows she should ask him because the person she's talking about isn't the type thinks about this kind of thing. She groans and falls backwards on her soft bed, bringing the dress along with her and pulls it close to her chest.

She looks up to the ceiling of her room and all she can see is the pale face of Seth, his strange, black and white, spiky hair, the redness of his ruby eyes, and the cheerful grin that he always gives to anyone. She feels her cheeks heat up and she clutches her dress tighter as she feels her heart beats vigorously against her chest.

She closes her eyes. And then she remembers the way he treats everyone around him, especially Katniss and Peeta. He acts as if they were his family. Like an older brother to his younger siblings, from the way how Katniss described him when they were texting. She also remembers that he would do anything for those who he cares for.

Then the question strikes her.

How does Seth feel for her?

All she knows is that she thinks of him more than as a friend. She realizes that she only knew him for a month and they barely see each other. But every time they do, she feels as if she knew him longer than that. Most likely it's because of his easygoing character, and his concern for those around him, which is the main reason she's in love with him.

She realized that she has fallen in love with him ever since he saved her and Katniss from Delly. She remembers when she passed out, she felt someone enveloped her in a cold, strong and protective embrace. No one has ever held her like that, not even her father. She also regained her consciousness only for a short second but long enough to see who her hero was: a pale-skinned young man who has the strangest hair style she'd ever seen, and the most beautiful red orbs of his eyes.

She thought she'd never see him again, until she met him again in Town where she thanked him for saving her and Katniss. That was the day when she and Seth officially introduced themselves to each other and it was also the day they made a nickname for Peeta and Katniss.

Madge laughs at the memories of spending her time with him and opens her eyes. And then she sits up, her palm still presses against her chest, feeling her heartbeat returns to a normal rate. She notices that she never had so much happiness with anyone. She wants it to last forever and a decision has been made.

She puts her dress aside and grabs her coat that lays draped on the back of her chair. Running towards her door and then to the door of her house. She knows that she can only find that happiness with a certain person. And now she's heading towards him.

Dashing from her house to a few blocks way, she finally reaches the Katniss' house where Seth always hangs out if not at the bakery. As she expected, he's there, sitting on the porch while playing with Buttercup, well not exactly playing, more like quarreling with that tomcat who is scratching his face.

Her heart leads her heart to run faster and she complies.

Sensing a familiar smell, Seth retracts Buttercup from his face and looks at the front of the house and spots Madge panting heavily.

Putting the cat down on the floor, he says, "Hey, Mads. What's up?"

"Um," she says, not knowing how to start.

Wiping his cheeks that are full of scratch marks, he asks, "You okay? You look as if you just got chased by some kind of monster." _Great,_ she thinks. _Now he's worried. _But at the same time she knows that he's joking.

So she laughs softly. And then her face turns serious. "I want to talk you," she proclaims.

Confused with her sudden statement, his eyes widen. "Oh okay, what do you want to talk about?"

Something holds her back. Is she really going to express her feelings in front of someone's house? What if Mrs. Everdeen or Prim comes out? She won't be able to hide her embarrassment.

"How about we go for a walk while walking?" She suggests.

"Sure. Let me grab my coat first." He goes into the house and comes back a few seconds later, wearing his favourite black coat.

They then walk side by side on the snowy road with no particular destination. As they walk, Seth senses an uncomfortable atmosphere around them. He starts to wonder why she asked him for a walk if she's fidgeting nervously. What is it that she wants to say so important that she's so determined to talk to him in private?

The more they step forward, her heart seems want to jump out of her ribs. She really wants to say it, especially when their arms accidentally brush against each other. Even though they're wearing long-sleeved clothes, she feels a rush of warmth spreads inside her body. Finally she halts on her pace.

"Seth," she calls him with a determined voice.

He stares at her for a while, waiting for her to say whatever she wants.

Clenching her hands tightly on either sides of her body, she summons all of her courage.

"I… I…" she stammers. "I…"

She looks up to his questioning look and then brings her closed hands into her chest. This is it. She's going to say it.

"I love you."

She said it only by a mere whisper, but it was enough for him to hear her.

Thinking that he didn't quite catch it, she repeats with a stronger voice, "Seth, I love you." She then continues, "I know we rarely see each other but my heart keeps on telling me that I can be the happiest as long as you're with me. I want to be able to see you anytime I want. I want to see us to be happy together."

Silence creeps after the words leave her mouth. He averts his eyes to the snow beneath them and awkwardly scratches the back of his head. He doesn't know how to respond to her. Why? Why does it have to be her? He knows that Madge is a very nice girl, and she's one of his most favourite people in the world. But he never sees her more than a friend. And he doesn't afford to love someone like her.

Not after what happened to the last girl he fell in love with.

Feeling guilty to say it, his mouth forms a straight line and his eyebrows knit in frustration. He doesn't want to do this. Not to one of the nicest girl he has ever known. However, he must say it, for her own good.

"I'm sorry," he murmurs reluctantly. "I can't accept your feelings."

Her heart feels as if it has been stepped on and shatters into tiny pieces. Hundreds of questions fill up her mind. And only one manages to come out.

"Why?" Her voice cracks as she tries to hold down the tears that are threatening to escape from her eyes.

"I don't deserve to be loved, Mads," he says guiltily. "Especially by someone like you."

She shakes her head. "That's not true," she disagrees. "Everyone deserves to be loved."

"But not me," he insists.

"Why is that?" She demands.

"Because I'm a monster."

She stares at him with confusion.

"I'm not a human," he presses the words strongly. "If you noticed, Mads, I have some features that humans don't have."

She does notice them. The colour of his eyes, his sharp pupils that resemble like wild animals' and the sharp teeth of his that are only visible when he grins and when he opens his mouth wildly. She also notices the scratch marks on his face have fully recovered.

"And how animals behave when I get close to them."

Just like Buttercup acted as if he was something dangerous and threatening. However she doesn't bring herself to care about them.

"I do realize," she admits. "But I don't care, Seth. I know somehow we'll get through it together. Just please let us try."

He grabs her shoulders with so much force that she feels a little pang of pain, and forces her eyes to draw in to his. She sees remorse and pain in them.

"I'm no good for you, Madge," he says, pain audible in his voice.

That's the first time he ever called her with her name, and she knows that he's dead serious. There must be another reason why he rejects her. She can only think of one reason.

Unconsciously, she asks, "Is it also because of a girl?"

One more time, he averts his eyes, not being able to look at hers that expose her pain.

Her dam is about to break and the tears feel like rushing out like a rapid river. But she doesn't want him to see her cry and make him feel guilty. So she releases a long sigh and forces her face to make look natural.

"I guess I can't help it, can I?"

"I'm sorry."

She removes his hands from her shoulders and holds them between their bodies. "It's all right, Seth. I can't force you to love me. I know you still care so much for that girl." She seemly can't hide the jealousy in her tone, but no sense of dissatisfaction.

This is another reason why he likes her: her forgiveness that will forgive anyone no matter how bad someone hurts her. Not everyone has this kind of personality.

She looks up to him expectantly. "Can I ask you for a favour?"

"Anything," he mumbles.

"There's Winter Dance in school within 3 days, so I'm hoping you could come with me." She painfully but quickly adds, "As a friend."

Realizing that apologizing isn't the only way to show how sorry he is, he believes going to the dance will make her feel better, he promises, "I'll be there."

"Seth?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I hug you?" She whispers.

He opens his arms and she walks over to his body, wrapping her arms around his torso while his arms hold the small of her back. Her face presses against his cold chest. His cheek rests lightly on her blond hair and he inhales the smell of her strawberry shampoo. It takes everything not to breakdown in to his shirt but she can't stop her sobbing. In his head, the words _I'm sorry_ keep on chanting like a mantra while holding her trembling body.

They stay like that for a few minutes until she can no longer hold her tears.

"I think I should go now," she says softly. "So I'll see you at school?"

He nods. He wants to accompany her to her house but he knows that she needs some time for herself so he forgets about the idea. He watches her slowly walk towards her house until he's sure that she arrives safely. He turns around and starts to walk but he has no destination. He needs to go away from there, to find his own time alone to punish himself for hurting Madge.

As he strides towards the woods, one name appears in his mind.

_Hayley._

* * *

**I strongly advise to those who support Seth and Madge not to haunt me because the ending isn't as you expected. *hides behind a door* I didn't actually expect SxM supporters from the start, it really surprised me. I want to keep the story as original as I can so I can't purposely match up Suzanne Collins' character with my own. I'm so, so sorry *bows down* But don't worry, Madge will have her happy ending. Just stay tuned for more in the next chapters.**

**I'm sure you'd be curious about the girl named Hayley that Seth mentioned. She was a vampire who was also Seth's girlfriend back when he was in Romania. One day, she died because of a tragedy and he blames himself for her death. That's why he believes that nobody should love him so that he can protect them from getting hurt. I hope that's enough information about her. Just in case if you want to know a bit more of Hayley, just PM me.**

**Reviews make me smile.**


	34. Girls' day out

**Alright, people! Sorry for the delay. I'm currently thinking about making a new story, so I was busy planning on the first few chapters. I actually wanted to post this during Valentine's Day, but heck, I didn't get the time. Anyway, we're back to Katniss' point of view.**

* * *

"Aren't you getting ready?" Prim asks.

Confused, I ask, "Ready for what?"

She gasps in surprise, "You're kidding, right?"

"No, seriously. Ready for what?" I repeat.

"Isn't the Winter Dance in your school coming soon?"

I slap my forehead so hard that I start to get dizzy. "Oh my God. How can I forget such important event?"

She sighs. "I'm sure you even forgot to prepare your dress."

I immediately run towards my closet and pull out random clothes that I have. All of them form a pile of clothes on my bed. Then I rummage through all of them. The finest dress I can find is a light blue dress with white patterns on the hem and neckline. But its size is already too small for me.

I sigh in frustration, and she does the same as she sits down before me on the bed. She takes the dress from me into her hands and puts it somewhere out of my sight.

"What should we do? You can't go to the dance without a dress. Especially when you're going with Peeta."

I run a hand through my loose hair exasperatedly. I've been too worked up by spending time with Peeta and trying to make up with Gale that I forgot to prepare for this event.

Suddenly, my phone rings and I check on the screen to find that I have a message from Madge.

It says, _Hey, Katniss. Are you ready for the Winter Dance? I'm sure you don't because I haven't seen you prepared your dress yet. Let's go to Town and buy a suitable one for you._

How on earth does she know that? But I'm glad she asked because right now I can use anyone's help to get me a dress. Usually I don't like to get involved in this kind of event but since Peeta asked me be his date, how can I say no? Not to my perfect boyfriend who is so excited for this that he even prepared his suit two weeks before the event.

So I send her, _I'll see you at the Square. _

"Prim, I'm going out to buy something with Madge, you want to come along?" I ask her, braiding my hair.

Her face then lights up in excitement. "Can I?"

I nod at her and then she jumps happily on the floor, clapping her hands. "Go and grab your coat, it's going to be cold out there."

"Okay," she replies cheerfully, hopping out of my room.

I turn to put back my discarded clothes into my closet and grab my jacket and my jeans, once I put them on, I take out some money that I saved for my own use. I don't expect to use it to buy a dress. The old Katniss might as well be scoffing something like 'I can't believe I'm actually going to waste my money on some silly clothes for a stupid occasion'. But the old Katniss is long gone. And now there's just me. A girl who is hopelessly in love with Peeta Mellark. My Peeta. My boy with the bread.

After a while, I get out of my room and walk down the stairs in a steady pace. Mother then sits up from her chair, looking pretty serious.

"Katniss, where are you going?" she asks with a stern tone.

I say, "I'm going to buy a dress with Madge."

"For the dance?"

I nod.

"You see, honey. I want to talk to you about Peeta," she starts.

Not good. She never brings up a conversation about boys, and I hope she's not going to talk about _that_. Although she did point something about it twice before: once when I told her that I started befriending with Peeta, and second when I was asking for her permission to sleep at his house.

Before she can even start speaking, I try to change the subject a little bit. "Look, I know I've been spending most of my time with him. But that doesn't mean that I'm lacking of hunting."

She simply shakes her head. "That's not what I want to discuss about."

Oh no.

"I've seen how Peeta looks at you, and you to him. I can see that you two are deeply in love," she says. I blush. "But I want you to make sure that you put a limit on your… actions."

"Mother," I say sternly. "I know what you're trying to say. Please, just stop." I hate when parents start to do sex talk. It never happened before I dated Peeta though.

"I'm your mother, Katniss. I have the right to say this. You see, you and Peeta have been so close and I believe you've done things." She presses a bit force on the word 'things'.

"We didn't do anything!" I insist. I know I'm lying because the closest thing we've ever done that was close to sex was when we made up from our argument a few days ago. "Besides, he knows he won't do anything that makes me feel uncomfortable. He would wait until I'm okay with it."

"Of course he would. But he may just said it, and I'm sure he's being honest, but you don't know if his hormones would think the same way. I know that I haven't been the mother you needed, and I'll never be able to tell you how sorry I am for that. But you have to know that I care. I just want what's best for you."

"I appreciate the concern. But I know what's best for me. And it's believing in him."

She sighs in defeat. "It seems I can't say anything that will make you change your mind."

"You're dead right," I say.

She chuckles. "If your father was here, I'm sure he'd be backing you up." And then she leaves towards the stairs.

"Bye, mother." I hear Prim says as she walks pass her. "Be careful," Mother says. She then is standing beside me, waiting impatiently.

I give her the best smile I can I give. "Come on."

After that we walk towards the Town Square which is not that from the Seam. Sitting on the fountain is Madge. I know something's not right because she's sitting with her head hanging feebly towards the ground.

"Hey, Madge," I speak to her.

She raises her head abruptly as is she wasn't expecting us, which is ironic since it was her idea to go shopping. I notice her eyes are red and her nose is puffy as if she's been crying for hours.

"Hi," she says with a hoarsen voice.

"Are you okay?" Prim asks beside me.

She wipes her cheeks quickly. "Of course. Why wouldn't I be?" She convinces, but I'm not buying it.

I tell her, "Are you sure? Because if you have something to say, I'm all ears."

She sits up playfully, maybe still trying to induce that she's fine. "I'm telling you: I'm perfectly okay. Can we just go to the shop and get something nice for you?"

I sigh. "Okay."

We walk around the town and enter a few boutiques. I'm not used to shop so I leave the rest of it to both Madge and Prim. They take every clothes they see and then make change to every one of them. I've tried various types of dresses: red ones, green ones, black ones. But I'm not able to pick which one is the best for me.

Finally, as they search for more, I spot a light yellow dress with flower designs by the skirt's hem that has two thin straps. I take it in my hands and suddenly the saleswoman stands beside me.

With a jolly voice, she says, "Oh. That looks suitable for you. You should try it on."

"But I just randomly took it. How do you know it will fit me?" I ask.

She says proudly, "I've been working in this boutique for years. I know when a costumer fits a dress."

"Yeah, Katniss. You should try that. It looks so pretty," Prim says.

I hesitate for a while. "Alright."

Once I enter the fitting room, I pull down the straps of a light blue dress I just tried, and then replace it with the new dress. I look at the mirror in front of me. I start to wonder: is that girl really me? With my hair draped loose from its usual braid, and the beautiful, silk dress. I can't even recognize myself. I push the curtain aside to reveal myself to my sister and friend.

Their eyes fly open and a loud gasp escapes from their mouth.

"Oh my gosh! You look so pretty," Prim squeals.

"Try to swirl around," Madge suggests as excited as her.

I do as she asked and somehow I feel lightheaded. Like I'm a girl. Well, of course I am. But not an ordinary one. And I can't stop the smile that spreads on my face.

"This is the one," I state confidently.

"I'm sure Peeta's jaw would drop when he sees you like this," Madge says with a big grin.

I turn to the saleswoman. "How much does this cost?"

She puts a finger on her chin. "Well, I guess I can offer cheaper than the usual, since we're having Christmas promotion and because that looks like your first dress."

"Thank you."

After changing back to my jeans and jacket, I pay for the dress and we decide to head home, since buying jewelries isn't necessary because Madge will borrow some of hers to me. On the way home, I don't realize we stumbled on to someone.

Gale.

He's wearing an old winter jacket and a pair of cargo pants with his hands tucked inside his jacket's pockets.

"Catnip?" He says.

I avoid his eyes and grab Prim's hand to move pass him.

As I expected, he chases right behind us. "Wait, Catnip. I want to talk to you."

"But I don't," I say coldly, increasing my pace.

Something I didn't expect happens: he starts to plead, "Please, Catnip. This is important."

I halt my movement. I turn around and stare at him carefully. After a moment, I tell Prim.

"Go on ahead, I'll catch up." I hand her the bag that contains my new dress and then she walks away but Madge stays by my side.

She confronts Gale with her head shoots upwards to meet his. "Are you Gale?" She asks with a surprisingly strong voice that even I jump a bit from hearing it.

"Yes, I am," he replies politely.

She glares at him. "So you're the guy who made Katniss and Peeta part that day."

I don't know why, but his face shows how ashamed he is and he looks down at the snowy ground. And he nods a little.

"That's me," he whispers guiltily and then looks up to me. "And that's what I want to talk to you about."

I put a hand on her shoulder and pull her back. "It's okay. I'll handle this." She backs away only a few meters away and still observes us carefully.

I turn back to him. To show him that I'm still mad at him for punching Peeta, I cross my arms and scowl at him.

He chuckles softly. "I guess I deserve that look from you." I stay quiet. "I want to apologize for my behavior for the other day. I know I was being a total asshole. I was just jealous at him."

I wait for him to continue.

"After you two left, my mother gave me a bit of lecture. I know now that I can't do anything to change your feelings for him, and your view towards me. I'm sorry."

In some way, I feel bad as well. I feel bad for not returning the feeling back to him. But I can't help it, my heart has chosen Peeta, and it will always will. "I'm sorry, too."

He gives me one of his rare smiles, and I'm glad to see it. I'm glad to see my best friend again.

"So, friends?" He asks with a humorous smile.

"Definitely," I say, smiling too.

I walk over too him and embrace him. He puts his hands on my back and hugs me tight. We stay like that until we feel satisfied that we're back to the old us.

"So you've been shopping?"

"Yeah. For the Winter Dance at school."

"Wow. Katniss Everdeen bought a dress for a school event. That's new," he says teasingly.

I hit him on the shoulder. "Shut up."

"Does that friend of yours have a date already?"

"Why? Are you interested in her? That's fast," I tease back.

"What's the harm? She seems a nice girl. I just want to know her."

I raise an eyebrow in suspicion. But I answer him honestly, "I don't know. Why don't you go and ask her?"

He shakes his head lightly. "I don't think that's a good idea. She looks pretty pissed at me."

"Well you better try to change that."

As if she knows it's right on time, she walks over to us. "What happened? Why did you hug?" She stares at him accusingly. "Did you force her to do it?"

I reassure her, "No, he didn't. We simply called for a truce."

She nods in understand. But she points a hand to him and threatens, "I don't know what you're up to. But I'm watching you."

Gale raises his hands in surrender and then whistles. "Courageous and feisty. I like it."

I laugh and I swear that Madge is actually blushing hard.

Soon we go to different paths to our own home. When I arrive at my house, Prim walks over to me.

"What happened, Katniss?" She asks anxiously.

I stroke her cheek lightly. "Everything's fine. Gale and I just settled out problem." She sighs in content.

She pulls my hand. "Hey, let's show Mother your new dress."

And then I follow her to her room.

I don't remember what happened within two days. I'm just too overwhelmed by the excitement and nervousness for the dance. I'm in my room with my hair set loose, already wearing the yellow dress I bought. Around my neck is the necklace that Peeta gave me, and Madge borrowed me her silver bracelet. I'm also wearing a pair of high heeled shoes which I took a two days to get used to.

"You look beautiful, honey," my mother praises behind me.

"Thanks," I say with a smile.

My phone rings and I grab it from my nightstand. It's a text from Peeta.

_Look outside through your window._

I step towards my window and push the curtains aside so that I'm looking the front of our house. On the snowy road, Peeta is standing at the center of a heart shape. A big smile threatens to split my face into two when I read a message above the heart that says 'I love you'.

"Your date is here," Prim says giddily.

I simply say, "I know." I grab my jacket and then run down the stairs to meet my boyfriend.

* * *

**Happy Valentine's Day! I hope the long chapter is satisfying. We're approaching close to the end of the story. Maybe by four to five chapters, it's gonna be over. But rest assured, a new story is coming up, I just haven't come up with the title yet. Reviews make me smile. **


	35. Winter Dance

**It's here! The Winter Dance chapter is here. Enjoy!**

* * *

When I hurl the door open, I am welcomed with the sight of him wearing a blue winter coat over a tidy black suit. His golden hair is gelled backwards so that his hair isn't as messy as usual. His blue orbs scan through my body and admires it. I can't hide the blush that creeps on my cheeks. He looks so handsome that I don't even notice when he walks over to me and takes the jacket from my hand and then puts it around my shoulders.

"As much as how I want to continue ogling on you, you should wear this," he says sweetly.

I know he has a good point, but I have another way to warm myself up. "Why don't you warm me up?"

His eyes widen from my boldness, but eventually he laughs softly and puts his arms around me and pulls me into a warm hug. My arms are wrapped around his torso in a strong grip. He puts his lips on my bare skin and warmth radiates from the spot where they touch my skin. His warm breath tickles my skin and I instantly have goosebumps, and I know they have nothing to do with the cold. I smile from the scent of his sweet cinnamon, even though the perfume he's using tries to cover it.

He pulls his head back just enough to press his lips against mine and warmth spreads throughout my whole body from my head to my toes. To pull him closer, I snake my hands from his torso to the back of his neck, and then to his hair, messing it a bit.

Running out of breath, he reluctantly pulls away. "Don't mess with my hair," he groans.

I simply laugh with his whine. "I love your hair. It's hard to resist it."

He smiles proudly. "Is that the only part of me that you love?"

"No. These too."

I put my hands on his cheeks and pull him for another lingering kiss. A few seconds later, he pulls back again.

"Don't tempt me to kiss you out here, Katniss," he grunts. "Or we'll freeze to death."

"I don't care," I growl.

He chuckles. "Come on, let's go. Seth might be wondering what's taking us so long."

Bemused, I ask, "He's coming with us?"

"For the first time not as a guard," he states. "But as Madge's date."

"You're kidding, right?"

"I thought it was a joke at first," he says. "But apparently he's serious."

_Gale's going to be disappointed. _But I feel I should tell him first about me and Gale's truce. I don't want him to think that Gale's going to make a ruckus when he sees him at school.

"I want to tell you something," I say with a serious tone.

His face expression turns serious as well. "What is it?"

"It's about Gale."

"What did he do?" He asks abruptly.

Before he can say any more, I tell him, "He didn't do anything. I stumbled onto him a few days ago and he apologized for punching you and he's accepted our relationship."

He twitches an eyebrow in doubt. "Gale Hawthorne actually apologized? I must be dreaming."

"Well, it's not," I reassure him.

His lips form a relieved smile. "I'm glad he finally accepts us relationship."

"Me too."

"Now, shall we?"

I hook my arm around his. "We shall." And then we head towards our school hand in hand.

From afar, the lights that glow from the school are visible. I see a group of students with their dates, wearing beautiful dresses and tuxedo. Most of the girls are wearing makeup, and I straight away feel insecure.

Peeta immediately senses my insecurity and asks, "What's wrong?"

"I don't feel that I'd fit in with all of these people," I confess, looking downwards.

In his eyes, there are strong denials of my statement. He grabs my shoulders and makes me look into his eyes. "Don't you say that," he says in a firm voice. "You are the most beautiful girl in the whole world. Forget those girls who wear something just to make themselves pretty. That's fake. You and your natural beauty are real, and there is nothing that can compare to it."

Touched with his words, I feel my confidence grow back. I give him the biggest smile I can give and a kiss on his cheek as a sign of gratitude.

We walk towards the entrance, and then among the crowd I see Seth leaning back against the wooden door frame and he's actually wearing a suit, but not so smart. His black jacket is unbuttoned, revealing his white button down shirt that is untucked and he's just wearing a pair of black sneakers. His tie is a bit loosened and he looks like a gangster.

"Is it just me, or his hair is a bit neater to day?" I whisper to Peeta's ear.

"No, it's not just you. He borrowed some of my gel tonight," he answers with a quiet laughter. "But it's actually me who insisted him to use it."

Seth has his hands in his pants' pockets until he sees us, and then waves at us.

"Hey, guys!" He calls as we approach him. "What took you so long? I feel so awkward standing alone in this crowd."

Ignoring his complain, I say, "Nice hair."

He grimaces. "Shut up. I don't like it this way, but it's not like I've any choice."

"Good evening, everyone," says a melodic voice behind us.

We turn around and Madge is standing with a brown winter coat over her blue gown. Her blonde hair is curly and flows gracefully on her shoulders. Around her right hand is a silver bracelet with beautiful flower design. She wears a pair of red high heels. One word that can describe her is gorgeous.

I hear Seth exclaim, "Wow."

"You look beautiful," Peeta praises her and she tucks a strand of hair behind her ear shyly.

Before I can compliment her, Seth walks pass us and offers her his arm.

"You're stunning, you know that?" He says with a soft smile.

She hooks his arm around his and blushes slightly. "Thank you," she says.

With that, they go walk towards the entrance. Peeta and I follow right behind them. My hand clutches his forearm to relieve my nervousness and I take a deep breath. We walk through the corridor where some students are talking to their friends before entering the hall.

I notice their eyes are glued on us. Who wouldn't? It's not an everyday sight where you can see Katniss Everdeen actually comes to a school dance, wearing a dress with the charming Peeta Mellark, and Madge Undersee has her arm around a stranger.

When we reach the house, we are welcomed by the loud music and colourful lights. People fill the room with their hands up in the air as they move their bodies in some kind of odd dance. Somehow we end up cramped within the crowd, and it looks like Seth and Madge have been separated from us. Which is fine by me because I want to spend some time with Peeta all by myself.

I take off my coat and he does the same, and we hang them on the coat rakes beside the hall's entrance door. I feel him take my hand and lead me deeper into the crowd. It's funny that when we stop walking, the wild music changes into a slow music. He pulls my body against his, and puts one of his hands on my waist while the other holds my right hand. My left hand lies on his chest, feeling his rapid heartbeat.

"I hope you know how to dance," he says with a teasing grin.

"What if I don't?" I say with a challenging tone.

He pretends to make a hurt face. "Then I'll have to make sure that my feet are ready to feel the pain."

To prove him that he's wrong, I show him what I've been doing for the past three days without him. As we dance, I try not to step on his feet. We move in synchronize and when he raises his arm over my head, I twirl according the way Madge showed me when we were practicing the steps. He seems to be amazed because he doesn't say a word. I don't need him to; my eyes never leave his blue ones and they tell me how amazing I am.

We continue dancing like that and then I catch a glimpse of Seth dancing with Madge. She has her hands around his neck and his on her waist. I wonder how they get so close, but I don't bring myself to care so much because they look so comfortable towards each other. And then I spot Gale who is wearing a suit, standing near the entrance, looking unsure where to go.

Reluctantly, I loosen my hand from Peeta's and he seems confused. "What's wrong?" He asks.

"Gale's here."

He turns around and immediately their eyes meet. Peeta gives him a polite smile and a small nod of recognition. Gale does the same.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier, but he came for Madge."

"Really?" He asks, looking relieved. "But isn't she with Seth?"

"That's the problem. I didn't know she already has a date."

"Well, what are you going to do?"

Honestly, I don't know. I want Gale to go to Madge, but I don't want to disturb them.

"Hey, Catnip," Gale says.

"Hey, Gale. Nice suit," I say.

"Thanks. You too," he replies, looking at both of me and Peeta. "Have you seen Madge?"

"Uh…" I pause. "She's-"

Suddenly Seth appears from the crowd with Madge next to him. "Hey, guys. How's it going?"

Gale asks, "Aren't you the guy who celebrated Christmas with Catnip and her family?"

"Yeah, that's me. And you must be Gale. Kat's best friend," he states. He then gives out his hand. "Nice to meet you."

He takes it and shakes it. "Nice to meet you too."

"I didn't know you were coming," Madge says, surprised.

"That's because," he stops for a while to take a deep breath. "I wanted to go with you. But I didn't get the chance to ask you."

That's the first time I've ever heard him being so bold. All of us go silent for quite a while until he clears his throat. "I know this is shocking and a bit too late since we're already here, but Madge, will you go to the dance with me?"

Her face starts turning red like a tomato and her hands are clasping her mouth to hold a gasp. "I… um…" She stammers.

He looks over to Seth who is a little taken aback, but doesn't look too surprised, as if he knew this was coming. "I hope you don't mind taking over your date."

Seth shakes his head lightly. "It's okay, dude. I'm parched and I'm sure Mads still wants to dance. So go ahead and take over."

"Wait! I haven't even decided yet!" She objects.

Ignoring her, Seth grabs her hand and Gale's wrist and puts her palm on top of his, and his fingers immediately entwine hers. Seth gives them am encouraging smile and says, "Go ahead. No need be shy." He then shoves them towards the dance floor.

I swear I actually catch a glimpse of Gale smiling widely and Madge trying to hold her smile by biting her bottom lip as she blushes more.

Peeta asks Seth, "Will you be okay on your own?"

He simply shrugs his tie with ease and puts it into his pocket, and pops open two top buttons of his shirt, revealing his sweaty chest.

"I'll be fine," he assures. "I'm tired from all the dances. Hell, that girl can dance without any limit."

"But you're a vampire," I whisper, making sure nobody can hear me.

"So? That doesn't mean I have limitless energy."

Peeta then tells him, "Why don't you get a drink or two?" With that, he leaves without saying anything.

Peeta turns back to me and takes my hand in his. "Now, would like for another dance?"

I automatically say, "Sounds like a plan."

* * *

**It's so fun to write Katniss and Peeta in a lovey-dovey way. They're just so cute. Can anyone guess what will happen in the next chapter? **

**Bad news, everyone. The next chapter will be delayed because my first assessment will start on the 25****th****, so I have to leave the internet for a while, I'll return around mid-March, though. But I'll find some way to sneak behind my family's back to update the story. **

**Reviews make me smile.**


	36. It's over

**Hey, everyone. I'm back! Thank you so much for being so patient with me, and I want to say sorry for making all of you wait for so long. *happy dance* But my assessment is over, and finally after three years, I passed my math exam (yeah, I'm very, very horrible with math). *happy tears* I did my best to make this one long. So hope you enjoy this.**

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"Who taught you how to dance?"

"Guess."

"Madge?"

"Obviously."

Once again, Peeta and I are surrounded by people as we dance in another slow dance. This time, both of my hands clasp the back of his neck while his hands pull me close to his body by the waist. Our lips are dangerously close to each other and I can feel his breath against my skin.

"Remind me to thank her," he whispers, his lips barely brush against mine.

"You don't have to, because I already did," I whisper back against his ear.

I feel him lips form a cocky smile against my lips. "Good. That means one thing has been settled."

I cock an eyebrow, looking at him mischievously. "Oh? What is the other thing?"

"This." He leans forward and captures my mouth with his.

Despite the fact that I'm not used to show my affection towards him in public, I don't seem to care about the people are us. My hands go to his soft hair, and his blonde curls twirl around my fingers. His hands roam from my waist to the small of my back. Our lips move in synch and eventually our kiss gets hotter.

Peeta tilts his head to a different angle to kiss me deeper and his tongue snakes out from his mouth to lick my bottom lip. I take that he's seeking for permission and I willingly allow it. Our tongue battle for domination and he wins. His grip on my waist gets tighter and I do the same to his neck.

Unfortunately, we have to break our kiss, thanks to the need to breathe. But he continues to assault the skin on my neck with a hundred kisses. I giggle when he sucks on a spot where I'm sensitive at.

"So there's your sensitive spot," he whispers against my neck, victoriously.

"So what if it is?" I say.

He looks up to me and grins. "I'll keep on kissing that spot to hear your giggle again."

I cover my neck with my hand while the other still rests on his neck. "Kiss me on that spot again and I'll kill you."

He pouts. "But I like to hear you giggle."

I convince him, "You can make me giggle even without kissing that spot."

"Yeah? Like what?"

"Well, let's see… with your cheesy lines, your affectionate gestures."

"Wow. I'm that good, huh?"

I wrap my arms around his neck once again. "Definitely."

He smiles at me gently. "I love you, Katniss."

I tell him, "I love you too."

And then we carry on our dance. After a while I suddenly feel thirsty.

"I'll go get some drinks," I tell him.

"Don't be long," he says, kissing me on the cheek and then releases his grip on me.

I push myself through the crowds and finally reach the table where food and drinks are served. I walk towards a jug half-full with some red liquid, curious, I pour some into a plastic cup. I take a sip, and turns out it's not so bad.

"Pour me some, would you?"

I turn around to see Seth with a similar cup shoved towards me. I do as he says, saying, "Still tired?"

"Nah. Thanks to that drink, I feel my energy comes back," he says.

There's nothing to say after that so we just gaze at the dance floor. People have smiles plastered on their faces while they dance slowly, while some start to dance with their arms stretch upwards in the air. I spot Peeta talking to his friends, his face full of joy. I seriously never thought I'd go to a school occasion like this. Usually I'd stay at home, probably watching TV with Prim and Mother or finish my homework or anything that keeps me busy. But I find attending such occasion with Peeta is much more fun.

"You having fun?" Seth asks.

I smile and nod. "Yeah. You know, I can't believe I'm here: in a school dance."

He takes a sip and then says, "Well, you better believe it. 'Cause Peet's really happy to have you here with him."

I look at my drink in content. "I know."

Suddenly he attracts my attention by saying, "Hey, look at that." And then pointing to the corner of the room with his finger.

At the far corner of the room, I see Gale putting his hand on Madge's cheek and kissing her deeply. Even from a far, I can feel the passion in their kiss. I gasp in shock and awe. Wow, that's fast. I know he has charmed lots of girls before, but I didn't expect it would be that quick for him to make her to like him.

I look over at Seth and expect him to be upset because Gale practically 'stole' his date away and is kissing her. Instead, he smiles with happily and sighs with content, looking satisfied to see them together.

"Did you purposely let Gale take Madge away?" I ask. "To see if they like each other?"

He scratches the back of his neat hair shyly. "Is it that obvious?"

"Now you're a matchmaker?" I joke.

He laughs. "Maybe."

"Tell me why you're doing this."

He stares at me for a while. "You see, you and Peet are obviously busy with each other and Mads won't be able to spend so much time with you anymore, so I think it's better for her to have a boyfriend."

Interested, I ask, "Why did you pick Gale?"

"To make him get over you. I know it sounds cruel. But the truth is I noticed that both of them are pretty lonely. So maybe they would make a great couple."

I nod in understand. And then I realize I haven't thanked him for his what he did for us. "Thanks a lot, Seth. For making sure that Peeta and I are together. And also for matchmaking Madge and Gale."

He smiles before taking another sip of his drink. "Your welcome."

We talk about minor things after that until I feel like returning to Peeta. So I march back towards the dance floor, and start looking for him. I catch a lot of glimpse of people with blonde hair, but neither of them is Peeta. Where is he? Then Gale pushes among the group of students and then he's in front of me.

"Catnip," he pants, as if he's been running. His face is slightly covered with sweat, and his suit is a bit crumpled.

"Hey, had fun with Madge?" I tease.

He shakes his head. "We'll talk about that later. For now, just don't get mad."

I make a confused face. "Why should I get mad?"

He takes a deep breath. "It's about Peeta."

My face turns serious. "What happened to him? Where is he?" I start to push him away.

He puts his hands on my shoulders and holds me there, away from the ladies' restroom which is right behind him. "I don't believe it with my eyes at first," is the only thing he says. "But it's true."

"What are you talking about?" I demand, shouting. "Where is he?"

His face turns palpable with disappointment and hesitation. _What the hell is going on? _I push pass him and make my way towards the ladies' restroom. I hurl the door open and I immediately take the disgusting sight of Peeta holding Delly by her slim waist and she wounds her arms around his neck, and their lips are against each other. When they hear the sound of the door slamming the wall, they break apart. Peeta's eyes quickly open wide and let go of Delly, but she still holds him, beaming a mocking grin.

If I could vomit, I would do it, but I don't want to embarrass myself in front of them. Before I run towards the exit, I stride towards them and slap his cheek so hard that he staggers. _How could he? _I think. I feel ashamed, deceived and most importantly, betrayed.

"You manipulative, lying bastard!" I shout at him as he holds his now red cheek. "How could you do this to me?"

"Katniss, I-" he starts, but I won't let him continue.

I shove a finger to his face and hiss, "Don't you dare to say another shit from your fucking mouth!"

The pain on his face is clear but I can't bring myself to care, and I don't want to. "Katniss…" He raises his arms to reach me.

"Don't you dare touch me or even appear in front of me again," I spat, and sweep away his hands harshly.

With that, I turn on my heels to leave the restroom, and then the school. I don't even bother that I left my winter coat even though it's actually snowing heavily. Just like the tears that fall from my eyes. I hate the fact that I can't stop my sobs although I try to stop them by covering my face and nose with my hand. I also hate that I'm crying because of him.

I hear him call, "Katniss! Wait!"

"Get the hell away from me!" I scream without turning around because I don't want him to see me crying.

Somehow he manages to catch up to me and grabs me by the arm. I try to wriggle from his iron grip, but he's too strong.

"Please, just let me explain," he pleads, his eyes tearful, or it's just me.

I snap, "Explain what?! That you only dated me because I'm from the Seam? And because the girls from the Seam are 'easy'?" I try my best not to actually throw my arms around him and forget what's happening. But it hurts too much.

"That's not true. You know that, don't you?"

I want to scream _I don't know anything right now! I can't think of anything! _Instead, I shake my head vigorously, as if I'm trying to shake this moment like this is some kind of nightmare.

The only words I can form are, "It's over."

His mouth stops talking, but his eyes don't. They're still begging something like _don't say that, please don't do this_ and shit like that. His grip then loosens and then finally I yank my arm away. I then snap the pearl necklace he gave me and throw it to his chest and then it falls on to ground, close to his shoes.

I start to run, but I don't know where I'm going. It's fine as long as I'm away from him. Out of breath, I stop at a nearby tree and lean against the trunk, and slowly descend on the ground as the falling snow covers my body. I wish my whole body will be covered entirely to hide from this pain and embarrassment.

Suddenly, I feel someone drape a winter coat over my head around my shoulders. I look up to see Seth kneeling so that we're in the same eye level. His eyebrows knot together, and he looks in pain as if he can understand what I'm feeling. Unable to hold myself anymore, I throw my arms around his torso and cry against his white shirt, needing comfort. He doesn't say anything as he holds me there under the tree.

* * *

**Dun dun dun dunn! Explosive climax! Do you hate me yet? I hope you do because that means you're so interested in the story and can't wait for the next chapter. Relax, everyone. 'Cause the first term holiday will be starting by Monday, so I'll have the time to write chapter 37. So please some reviews please if you want me to update faster.**


	37. Promises

**I hate it when I want to start writing, my mind will say something like, "I'll start writing tomorrow." But the moment I realized it, it's been more than a week after the last time I updated the story. So yeah, that's why I'm a bit slow in updating if I'm not busy with anything. Anyhow, let's continue with the story.**

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Seth scoops me in his arms with ease as if my weight is just a few pounds and carries me home. I don't say anything along the way because there's nothing to say. I'm tired to say anything. Not long after that, we arrive at my house. I remember when the door of my house opens, Prim's gasp is the first thing I hear. Between my half closed eyes, I see my sister has an apprehensive look on her face.

"Oh my God, what happened Seth?" She asks anxiously.

But Seth doesn't say anything, he merely gives her a shake on the head. "Let's just let Kat rest, okay?"

I hear Mother trying to calmly say, "I'll boil the water for her, so can you take her to her room?"

"Okay." I feel him step towards the stairs and finally to my room.

He lays me on my bed gently and Prim takes off my high heeled shoes and whispers to Seth.

"Seth, can you wait outside? I'm going to change her and while we're at that, you might as well want to change."

He nods. "Alright. Call me when you need me."

When my door shuts close, I sit up and she unzips my dress' zipper at the back. Usually I don't feel comfortable if anyone changes me, but I'm just too mentally exhausted. Prim takes out my sweater and a pair of pants. She slips the sweater on and I have to wear the pants myself.

There's a knock on the door, and then Mother comes in with a bucket of hot water in her hands, behind her, a freshly clothed Seth is standing with his arms crossed, with still worried look on his face.

"Here, Katniss. Dip your feet into the water." I sit at the end of my bed and do as she says.

My skin feels the warmth, but my heart doesn't. Mother's eyes stare at my pathetic body as if I'm a little girl. She sits next to me and touches my hair motherly and then kisses it.

"What happened, honey?" She asks.

I don't answer her. So she looks up to Seth, hoping for him to answer.

He shakes his head. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Everdeen. But I'm not sure what really happened. All I know is that Kat and Peet had a fight."

I flinch at the memory at school. The memory of Peeta kissing Delly. _How dare he make me feel so weak like this. How dare he betray me. _

"But why?" Prim asks.

"I don't know, Rose." He pats her head as a brotherly gesture to comfort her. "For now, I'll stay here to look after your sister. Is that okay, Mrs. Everdeen?"

Mother nods, agreed. "I think that's a good idea. She might as well need some comfort from a friend."

"I want to go to sleep now," I mutter, my voice somehow sounds feeble.

"I'll get some warm water if you want," Prim offers.

"No, Prim. I just want to sleep."

"Okay, then. Goodnight." I don't answer her because it's obviously not a good night.

I lie down on the bed and Prim tucks me in, pulling my blanket to my shoulders. Mother carries the bucket of water away and all of them turn to leave. But I don't want to be left alone tonight. I don't want Prim or Mother to see me like this and get more worried. So that leaves one person.

"Seth," I call.

He's just about to close the door, but stops. "What is it?"

"Can you stay a little longer? Just until I fall asleep?"

He's uncertain at first, but then closes the door behind him, and then drags a chair from my desk to sit right next to me. We don't say anything so the room is in silence, but it's not uncomfortable. I shift so that I'm facing him. His elbows rest on his knees as he leans forward. He doesn't have the usual cheerful look on his face, instead he looks gloomy and tired.

"You feel better?" He asks, his eyes never leave mine.

"A little," I mumble.

"What happened, Kat?"

I don't answer him. Suddenly my phone rings on my nightstand. I take it in my hand to see the caller. It's definitely not the person I want to talk to. Peeta. I click the 'end' button and the phone stops ringing. And then I let out a tired groan as I put it back on the nightstand.

"Was that Peet?"

"Yeah."

"Seriously, what the hell happened between you guys? One moment you were dancing as if you were the only people in the world, and the next moment you were shouting at him."

I sighed. "He kissed Delly."

He says slowly. "What. The. Fuck? Are you sure?"

"He had his arms around her! And you're saying that my eyes were seeing things?" I snap.

He raises his hands, surrendering. "Okay, okay. Calm down. I believe you. Just get some rest, alright?"

Feeling drained, I lay my head back on the soft pillow and pull the blanket to my shoulders and curl up. I don't know why. Maybe it's because I need someone to hold me, or maybe it's because I want to hold someone, to know that someone's there for me. I take his hand and hold it close to my face. He doesn't say a word so I take a hint that it's okay for him, as usual. I fall sleep like that, holding Seth's hand and quietly cry my eyes out.

Several days have passed and I never leave my bed, unless when I need the toilet. I've received about nine calls and fifteen text messages from Peeta, but ignore all of them. One of them says something like,

_Please let me explain. I swear I didn't mean to do it. Please just reply to me once you read this. I love you._

_Love, Peeta._

Bullshit. I'm still furiously mad at him, so bad that I almost threw my phone out of frustration. Prim comes in once in a while to check on me and comfort me but I can barely say anything. I wish to go to the woods and hunt, but there's nothing to kill since it is still winter and most animals are hibernating.

As I stay in my room, Gale and Madge come frequently to check up on me. Apparently the two of them have become a couple because they seem closer now and I've seen them entering my room while holding hands. Visiting me isn't the only reason they come here. They also come to advise me to talk to Peeta.

When Prim and Mother are away to buy some stuff, Gale who used to disagree with my relationship with Peeta say something like this, "I'm sure he didn't mean to kiss her."

I snort. "Yeah? Like what?"

He shrugs. "I don't know. Maybe she added something into his drink and made him, you know, less conscious? Hell, she has lots of ideas to separate you two. But I know Peeta's seriously in love with you."

I fall silent after hearing that. Now to think about it, he's right; Delly does have tons of ideas to torn our relationship. I remember when she threatened to hurt Prim if I didn't ignore Peeta. What if it was like that? What if she threatened him to kiss her?

"Call him, Katniss. Call him and make up to him, please?" Madge pleads.

I look at both of my friends. I suddenly feel ashamed of myself. I remember when Peeta saw Gale kissing me, I asked him for a chance to explain. Why can't I give it to him this time? My father used to say something similar. _Love needs chances._ That's right. I should've given him one. And I'm giving him now. Besides, these few days without him were a torture. I miss him so much that it hurts. I miss his voice, his blue eyes and golden hair.

I grab my phone and dial his number. After a two rings, he picks up the phone.

"Hello?" His voice sounds weak, obviously he didn't check the caller's name.

"It's me," I say.

I hear him gasp. "Oh my God, Katniss! You called! I didn't think you would."

I chuckle. "Of course I would."

There's silence afterward. I'm really not good with this 'making up' thing. Usually he'd do all the talking.

As if reading my mind, he says, "I miss you, Katniss."

"I miss you too. Can I see you?"

I hear the humor in his voice. "Right now?"

"Of course, don't you want to see me?"

"Of course I do. It's just that, we haven't seen each other for a while. I thought you're still mad at me."

I decide to tease him a little. "I would get mad if you don't come see me now."

He laughs softly. "Where should I meet you?"

I suggest, "Just meet me at my house?"

"Be there in a minute." And then he hangs up.

I slip down from my bed and look at the mirror. I look horrible with my nest hair and I smell like Buttercup since I didn't take a shower for almost a week. I go to the bathroom and take a quick shower. Afterwards I wear a green shirt and a pair of shorts. I intend to leave my hair loose because I know Peeta likes it this way. Soon there's a knock on the door. I fly down the stairs and fling the front door.

And there he is. He's wearing a thin turquoise jacket over an orange shirt and a pair of blue jeans. His hair is messy as usual, just the way I like it.

"You know you don't have to knock," I say with a smile I can't restrain.

He also smiles that smile I love. "Just wanted to be polite."

Unable to hold myself anymore, I quickly pull him inside, slam the door close and turn back to him and grab his shirt to kiss him hard on the lips. He kisses me back with so much passion and wraps his arms around my waist. My hands move to his cheeks to pull him closer. My lips frantically move against his as if his lips were created just for me. And I want to make it true. I will never let anyone touch these lips.

His hands move from my back, and they slither to my knees and he raises me up. I gasp in surprise but willingly wrap my legs around his waist as he carries me to the nearest couch. Our lips never separate even when he lays me on it. He settles between my open legs, and I realize this is the most intimate position we've ever had when we make out. And I like it. I want him to be closer.

"I missed you," I gasp when we break apart for oxygen.

"I know," he says cockily. "I missed you too."

"So, we're okay now?"

"We're more than okay. But before that, I want to know why you kissed Delly."

He sighs exasperatedly and sits up. "Okay. I'll tell you why. When you went away to get a drink, she came out of nowhere and dragged me to the bathroom. Then she took out a knife from her purse and put it close to her wrist. I tried to stop her and she told me that if I didn't kiss her, she'd commit suicide. And I don't want that to happen. I don't want to be the reason why she committed suicide."

He looks defeated when he finishes his explanation. I really want to kill that bitch. How dare she threaten my boyfriend by saying she'd kill herself if he didn't kiss her. I touch his cheek and make him look at me.

"I'm sorry, Katniss," he mutters.

I shake my head. "It's alright, Peeta. You were just trying to prevent her from killing herself in case she was being serious. And it was my fault. I should've given you a chance to explain. I'm sorry to say all those harsh words to you."

He kisses my forehead tenderly. "It's okay. Anyone would get mad if they see the person they love kissing another person. Oh, and I want to return this to you."

He takes out my necklace from the back pocket of his jeans and fastens it around my neck. "Thank you," I say, hugging him tightly.

"I have one more thing to give," he confesses.

I pull back. "What is it?"

He puts his right hand into his jacket's pocket and takes out a ring. Oh my God, don't tell me he's going to-

"Peeta, I-"

"Before you can think that I'm proposing to you, let me tell you that this is a promise ring."

"Promise ring?" I ask.

"It's like a sign that shows our loyalty to each other." He pauses, and then continues, "Katniss, I want to tell you that you are the bravest, kindest and the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. I love you more than anything in the world. And I want to be with you all the time. I promise you that my heart belongs to you, and only you."

I clasp my hands over my mouth in surprise. Touched with his promise, tears of joy are threatening to spill from my eyes. He slowly slides the ring into my ring finger and I examine it carefully. Around the shining metal, there are words carved on it. It says _Always._ I instantly understand what it means. It means to love me always and will always stay with me.

"Where's your ring?" I ask.

He takes it from his left pocket. And I take it from him.

I take a deep breath. "I've promised to myself that I wouldn't fall in love. But you've changed that and I don't regret it. You are the most handsome, funniest and gentlest man I've ever known in my life. You are also the most important thing to me. I love you with my whole being. I promise to love you forever. And my heart only belongs to you."

Then I put the ring into his ring finger and then we seal this promise with another heated kiss.

He pulls back to whisper against my lips. "By the way, Katniss. You're not 'easy' like you said." And I smile against his lips, feeling grateful to have my wonderful boyfriend back.

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***sigh* Well, I can't make them apart that long, so I decided to make peace between them within a chapter. And guess what, folks? The next chapter will be the final chapter. Not to worry, my new story 'Left Behind' will be posted **_**really **_**right soon. I hope to get so many reviews for this chapter. **


	38. Always

**Alright! Sorry to make you guys wait for so long. I've wanted to post the chapter like a few days ago, but there's a fucking virus infecting my laptop and I can't log in to any account in the internet (although I've downloaded Microsoft Security Essential to remove it, but nothing works). So I have to use my sister's laptop from now on to update my stories. Anyway, today's the day of the last chapter. I can't believe it's been almost a year since I published this story. *sob* suddenly I feel like crying, lol. Well, hope you enjoy this chapter.**

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_Epilogue_

I can't believe it's been ten years since Peeta and I have been together. It seems that everything happened in a flash. After he gave me that promise ring, we were inseparable, and we still do. We stayed at school until graduation and a few days after graduation, I brought him to the meadow and we were having a picnic under the bright sun and surrounded with yellow dandelions and green grass.

We were cuddling on a blanket as we watch the blue sky, feeling the cool breeze of spring blowing against our skin. He was surprisingly quite and I asked him what was wrong. He suddenly removed his arms from my waist and stood us up. He then went down to his knees and faced me. He pulled a small red box from his back pocket. I knew what was about to happen after that.

"Katniss Everdeen, I have never loved anyone as much as I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life, every single second with you. I promise to cherish you always. Will you marry me?"

He opened the box to reveal a golden ring with a small Mockingjay carved on it. I still remember my father once told me that a Mockingjay represents freedom. And I knew Peeta wanted me to be free. Free from the burden of taking care of my family. Free from any hardship because he wanted to shoulder them for me.

But I wouldn't let that happen. I didn't want him to do it alone. I wanted us to share the hardships together as husband and wife. That's what being married is about, right? Give and take.

So I gave him the biggest smile I have and shouted, "Yes! Of course I'll marry you!"

He slipped the ring into my ring finger, replacing the promise ring he gave me last winter. I embraced him tightly and we kissed passionately. Soon our kisses became heated, and slowly our clothes disappeared and we made love for the first time there in the meadow, where I felt like in heaven.

I wasn't the only one to be excited for the wedding. Prim and Madge practically shrieked out of excitement like extreme fangirls. Mother was delighted to hear the news, and Gale probably gave the brightest smile I've ever seen from him. And Seth, well he may have expected it because he smirked as if he knew this would happen when we told him the news.

As for Peeta's family, Mr. Mellark was very happy to know his youngest son would get married soon. Peter and Patrick were glad to hear that too. Their mother, however, was the only one who disagreed with the engagement. But Peeta didn't care about it because we were both already 18 at that time, so practically we were adults.

The wedding took place three weeks after the announcement. I chose Madge to be my bridesmaid, and he chose Seth to be the best man. The ceremony was located at the meadow and it wasn't that big, we only invited our family and close friends. I couldn't believe Greasy Sae brought Haymitch with her, but he looked surprisingly clean and he even admitted he didn't for three days just to be prepared for this day. We chose the location to be there because I wanted to feel close to my father, and it was the perfect place.

I was wearing a strapless white gown and my dark hair was tied in a bun. My cheeks were slightly red because of the makeup. I remember precisely how nervous I was. I felt like I wanted to faint. But I couldn't afford to since it was the biggest day of my life. Mother said it was time to go. I don't remember what happened next. What I remember is the handsome look of Peeta with his hair combed backwards and he was wearing a black tuxedo. The perfect face of his was the most beautiful thing I saw on that day. Things went very slow at that moment and my ears vaguely heard anything. The next thing I realized was he was right next to me. After that the parson started to mumble something but I was only focused on my soon to be husband in front of me.

Peeta's eyes were shining with tears like a newly discovered Benitoite stone and his lips curved into a content smile. I couldn't help but to smile back to him. He mouthed, 'I love you', and I did the same. After the parson stopped talking, we exchanged rings and started to kiss. It was a mind-blowing kiss. Everyone stood up from their chair and started to clap, but I could hardly hear anything. All I felt were Peeta's lips moving gently, but passionately against mine. However, he pulled away too soon, but with the look on his face, I knew he was keeping the rest of it later.

After the toasting and received best wishes from our friends, we moved into our new house and we made love for the second time. Things went well for the next days after that. Although I wasn't used with Peeta's wakeup kisses. Living with my husband is the best thing that has ever happened to me.

Until a miraculous day happened after four years in our marriage. I was pregnant. At first, I was terrified although the face expression Peeta gave me when I told him about it was priceless. But when I felt her kicking inside me, I felt a surge of happiness and excitement rush through my whole being. Time went by so fast that I didn't realize 8 months had passed and our daughter was born.

The first time I cradled her in my arms, I knew she was the most beautiful creature I've ever laid my eyes on. She has similar blue eyes of Peeta, my brunette hair and red skin that showed that she was just a few minute old. Everyone was in Peeta and my room with bright smiles. To tell you the truth, Mother invited Haymitch as well, and believe it or not, he burst into tears which made him look uglier than usual, and I cracked a laugh. Prim was so glad to finally become an aunt that she couldn't take her eyes off her niece. Behind her, Gale had his arm around his wife, Madge who just got married a week before Hope's birth.

"She's so gorgeous," Mother said softly, holding her newborn granddaughter in her arms. Tears began to pool in her eyes. "What's her name?"

Peeta sat beside me on the bed and was kissing my hand a few times before answering, "Hope Catherine Mellark."

"That's a beautiful name," she admitted. "Hello, Hope. I'm your grandmother." She kissed her still red forehead.

I caught a glimpse of Seth leaning on the doorframe, looking a bit uneasy. I called for him.

"What are you doing there, Seth? Come here and take a look at my daughter."

"Huh? Uh… Well, I…" He stuttered, shyly averting his eyes from us.

Mother walked over to him. "Here, try holding her."

"Wha-?" He exclaimed. "Wait, I'm not good with babies. What if she starts to cry?" Was it just me or he looked quite adorable when he panicked?

"She won't. Here," Mother insisted and handed Hope to him.

"But-" He started to protest but stopped when he held her perfectly. She yawned quietly and Seth was awestruck. "Wow. She's so cute," he admitted and started to slowly caress her cheek.

"What happened to the guy who was afraid of babies just now?" Gale teased.

He glared at her. "Shut up. I'm not scared of them. It's just that I've never held a baby before and I'm afraid I won't be good at it."

"You're doing a good job," Peeta claimed.

"Thanks. Now I know you want to hold her and she looks sleepy, so here you go."

"Wait! I want to hold her too!" Prim squealed excitedly. "Can I, Katniss?"

"Sure you can," I said gleefully. "After all, she's your niece."

Very carefully, Seth lifted her to Prim. At first, she looked awkward while holding Hope. I couldn't blame her since it was her first time to carry an infant. "Am I doing it right?" She asked anxiously.

"You're doing fine, honey," Mother ensured her.

After a while she gave Hope back to Peeta. I believe I was the luckiest woman to have Peeta as my husband and right now he was holding our daughter as she slowly drifted to sleep.

Mother rose up from the chair beside our bed. "Okay, everyone. I believe Katniss needs her sleep now."

With that, everyone left the room, mumbling about how cute Hope was. When the door shut close, Peeta leaned back against the headboard and I tried to cuddle to him as close as I could, but still made sure not to squeeze Hope between us. He kissed my temple.

"I love both of you so much," he whispered.

"I love you too," I murmured, kissing his lips and then our little angel's forehead. "And you too, sweetheart."

"Thank you so much, Katniss. For giving me a perfect daughter."

"I couldn't have done it without you, Peeta," I said before exhaustion engulfed me and fell asleep.

"Mommy! I'm home!"

I abruptly snap from my trance with the sound of my daughter from the kitchen door. In my hands is a photo album of my family. There's a picture of Hope when we celebrated her first birthday, a picture of Peeta showing her how to ice cakes, a picture of her sleeping on my lap as I braid her hair. There are also pictures of Prim, Mother, Gale and Madge. Seth is not an exception, but apparently he doesn't really like taking pictures because we only managed to catch a picture of him while sleeping.

"Where're you, Kat?" Seth's voice follows afterwards.

"I'm in the living room!" I call.

Then my 6-year old Hope comes from the kitchen and trots towards them and jumps on my lap. "Mommy, Papa Seth brought me to the woods and showed me the meadow!" She exclaims happily.

"Did you enjoy it?" I ask, brushing her hair.

"Yup. I love it. Can we go picnic there soon?" She questions hopefully.

"I hope so, sweetheart," I tell her, rubbing my fat belly and then stare at Seth. "I hope you made sure she didn't get hurt."

"Of course I did," he confirms. "So, how's the new baby coming?"

I say, "Apparently the doctor said it should be soon."

Suddenly Peeta walks down from the stairs. "And apparently it's a boy this time."

"Wow. Did you hear that, Hope? You're going to have a little brother soon," Seth tells Hope, patting her head.

She jumps while clapping her hands joyfully. "Yay! Can I teach him how to bake?" She shrieks.

Her daddy lifts her up in his arms and twirls in a circle so that her giggle fills the living room. "Wait until he's old enough, okay?"

"Okay, daddy," she mumbles, holding on to his neck.

"We've got something to tell you," I announce.

"What is it?" Seth curiously asks.

My husband and daughter take a seat next to me on the couch so we're facing him straightly. "We've already chose a new for the baby."

"Really? Then tell me."

Peeta and I say at the same time, "Sky Seth Mellark."

The look on his face shows that he's too astonished to speak. "Y-you guys are naming him after me? Isn't being your children's godfather enough already?"

Peeta rubs my belly soothingly. "We owe you so much, Seth. You've taken care of us for so long and we can't thank you enough. That's why we want you to become Hope and Sky's godfather. So that you can help us look after them."

"We decide to use your name for our son is because we want him to grow up like you: cheerful, friendly and very kind," I continue.

He begins his habit to scratch the back of his head whenever he's shy. "Well… um… your welcome, I guess?" He walks over to put his palm on my stomach and leans in.

"Hey there, Sky. This is your godfather. I'll take care of you once you're born," he whispers.

"I wanna look after him too!" Hope joins in.

We all begin to laugh and soon the house is filled with our laughter. And then on the 16th of July, our son, Sky is born with the hair of his father and my eyes. Days change into months and then years have passed and we find out Sky inherits the spirit and love to adventure from me. When he reached the age of 5, I teach him in the woods and teach him a bit of hunting. He has a brave and strong nature unlike his sister who is shy and sweet like her father and loves to bake either at home or the bakery.

One night, we tuck our children in to their beds and slowly walk towards our bedroom, hand in hand. Peeta stops us right in front of our door and stares at me lovingly for ten good minutes.

"You love me, real or not real?" He sweetly asks although he knows the answer.

I wrap my arms around his waist and whisper against his lips. "Real."

And then we enter our room with the most blissful feeling ever, content and cherishing with our small but perfect family. Always.

* * *

**This is probably the cheesiest chapter I've ever written and I hope it's okay. Well, that's the end of this story. I want to thank all of my readers for supporting me through the process of the story. It's been a long journey and a bit tough, but it was really fun to read the reviews from all of you and I've been enjoying every single moment. I know I sound as if I'm not going to write anymore, but good news is that I'll see you again my new story that is already being published so please read and enjoy it.**


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